State of Conservation Report of Shiretoko(Japan) (N1193)
in Response to the World Heritage Committee Decision 44 COM 7B.186

GOVERNMENT OF JAPANNovember 2022

1. Executive summary of the report
In response to the issues raised in World Heritage Committee Decision 44 COM 7B.186, with the collaborationof the Ministry of the Environment, Forestry Agency, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Hokkaido PrefecturalGovernment, and other related organizations, and based on scientific reviews at the Shiretoko Natural WorldHeritage Site Scientific Committee, the Government of Japan reports as follows:Regarding paragraph 3 of the Decision, the predicted impacts of climate change on the attributes of the OUVof Shiretoko are being reinvestigated and adaptation options are being studied. The government of Japan aims
to establish an adaptive management strategy for the property by the end of 2024.

Regarding paragraph 4 of the Decision, the origin of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) that migrate tothe Nemuro Strait is becoming better understood. Accordingly, the Basic Management Policy for thepopulations of Steller sea lions, including those in the Nemuro Strait, is scheduled to be revised in 2024.
Under the revised policy, the numbers of individuals in the migratory population of Steller sea lions will be
estimated based on breeding and migration status, and the catch quota in the Nemuro Strait will be set basedon scientific evidence.

Regarding paragraph 5 of the Decision, non-lethal measures will be continued until the Basic Management
Policy is revised, and efforts will be made to reduce the damage to the fishery industry by keeping the current
catch quota set within a range where there is no risk of extinction of the Asian population of Steller sea lions.

Regarding paragraph 6 of the Decision, a comprehensive evaluation was conducted in 2022 based on the dataobtained over the past 10 years by the monitoring specified in the Long-Term Monitoring Plan for theShiretoko Natural World Heritage Site developed in 2012. As a result, it was concluded that Shiretoko
maintains its value as a natural World Heritage site. In addition, the contents of the plan are being reviewed,
with the aim of completing the revision by March 2023. As well as enhancing the monitoring of climatechange-driven impacts, the revised plan will serve as a mechanism for the scientific evaluation of the OUVstatus by monitoring each attribute of biodiversity recognized under the criterion (x), including the status of
salmonid species and marine mammals.

Regarding paragraph 7 of the Decision, the Rusha River is undergoing dam modification work toward
completion in 2024, and the effects will be evaluated by monitoring. Concerning driftwood from the upper
reaches of the river, we will study the effectiveness of using gravel bar and lower floodplain areas in riverbends to capture driftwood. Moreover, we will continue to conduct various kinds of monitoring for upstream
migration of fish, and improvement measures will be taken as necessary.

Regarding paragraph 8 of the Decision, the latest state of conservation of the property and implementation
status of the Decision are described in this report.

There are no other conservation issues identified nor development projects which may impact on the OUV.
Public access to the conservation report is accepted.
12. Responses to the Decision of the World Heritage Committee Regarding the issues raised in theparagraphs of the 41st World Heritage Committee Decision 44 COM 7B. 186, the Government of Japan
sincerely reports as follows:
2-1. Response to Paragraph 3 of the Decision
3. Welcomes the national focus on climate change adaptation through the enactment of the 2018 Climate
Change Adaptation Act, which will facilitate the development of an adaptive management strategy for theproperty, and requests the State Party to submit the final strategy to the World Heritage Centre for review byIUCN and to ensure that full support is provided for its implementation and the ongoing protection of theOutstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;

Referring to “Climate Change Adaptation for Natural World Heritage Sites – A Practical Guide” (the WorldHeritage Centre, 2014) and other literature, the predicted impacts of climate change on the attributes of the OUVof Shiretoko are being reinvestigated and adaptation options are being studied.
The government of Japan aims to establish an adaptive management strategy that minimizes the climate changedriven impacts on the OUV of Shiretoko by the end of 2024.
2-2. Response to Paragraph 4 of the Decision
4. Also welcomes the continued cooperation between the States Parties of Japan and the Russian Federationto survey the Western Steller Sea Lion population, reiterates its concern however regarding the ongoingculling of the sea lions, given the continued absence of population data, and therefore urges the States Parties
to accelerate the development of a population dynamic model, to the extent possible, in order to inform
population management;

Aiming at minimizing damage to the fishery industry caused by Steller sea lions within a range where there isno risk of extinction of Steller sea lions, Japan has established the Basic Management Policy for managing thepopulations of Steller sea lions that migrate to the Japan Sea. As for the population structure of Steller sea lions,the mark-recapture data and other relevant information are being collected and analyzed, and, as a result, theorigin of Steller sea lions that migrate to the Nemuro Strait is becoming better understood. The BasicManagement Policy is therefore scheduled to be revised in JFY2024 to include the Steller sea lions distributedin the Nemuro Strait.
Under the revised policy, the numbers of individuals in the migratory populations of Steller sea lions will beestimated based on the data acquired in the breeding areas, migration, and other trends, and the catch quota in orincluding the Nemuro Strait will be set based on scientific evidence. In addition, under the revised policy, we2

will work on the management of the culling of Steller sea lions with more consideration for the uncertainty ofthe data and the precautionary principle.
2-3. Response to Paragraph 5 of the Decision
5. Urges again the State Party to reconsider, reduce or eliminate if necessary the current levels of culling of
the Western Steller Sea Lion population, taking international advice into consideration and adopting aprecautionary approach until accurate and comprehensive data on this subspecies become available;

The Basic Management Policy for the Steller sea lions in Japanese waters is scheduled to be revised in 2024.
Under the revised policy, the numbers of individuals in the migratory population of Steller sea lions will be
estimated based on data acquired in the breeding area, migration and other trends of Steller sea lions that migrateto Japan, including the Nemuro Strait, and the management will be conducted based on scientific evidence, withfurther consideration of the precautionary principle.
In the current situation, the latest damage caused by Steller sea lions to the fishery industry in the waters around
Nemuro decreased to 131 million yen, down to 36.8% compared to 357 million yen in 2013, when the largest
amount was recorded. However, the value of landing also decreased significantly (58.0% in the waters around
Nemuro and 40.7% in Rausu Town) during the same period. Thus, the damage caused by Steller sea lions to thefishery industry continues to be a threat to the sustainability of coastal fisheries.
To mitigate the situation non-lethal measures, such as reinforced fishing nets, will be continued. However, as
only limited effects have been achieved so far, until the Basic Management Policy is revised, efforts to reducethe damage caused by Steller sea lions to the fishery industry will be made by keeping the current catch quota
set within a range where there is no risk of extinction of the Asian population of Steller sea lions based on past
catch records.
2-4. Response to Paragraph 6 of the Decision
6. Appreciates the revision of the Long-Term Monitoring Plan to improve monitoring of climate change-driven
impacts, but also requests the State Party to ensure that the attributes of the property’s OUV are fully reflectedin the Long-Term Monitoring Plan to ensure aquatic biodiversity, specifically the salmonid species and marine
mammals, are all included and monitored;

Monitoring is ongoing based on the Long-Term Monitoring Plan for the Shiretoko Natural World Heritage Site,developed in 2012. In 2022, 10 years after the development of the Monitoring Plan, a comprehensive evaluation
was conducted using the data obtained thus far, based on the examination by the Scientific Committee and theopinions of local stakeholders. As a result, Shiretoko was evaluated to have maintained its value as a natural
World Heritage, even now 15 years after its inscription. The complied Comprehensive Evaluation Report isattached as an annex.

3Work is underway to complete the revision of the Long-term Monitoring Plan by March 2023. The revised plan
will set out enhanced monitoring of climate change-driven impacts from 2022. Monitoring items reflect each
attribute of biodiversity recognized under the criterion (x), including, the current status of biota, such as fish,shellfish, and seaweed in the waters around Shiretoko, and salmonid species such as pink salmon (Oncorhynchusgorbuscha) and southern Asian Dolly Varden (Salvelinus curilus) in river areas, along with marine mammals
such as seals, Steller sea lions, and killer whales (Orcinus orca). Scientific evaluation of the status of the OUV
is to be continued based on the results of this monitoring.
2-5. Response to Paragraph 7 of the Decision
7. Also takes note of the State Party’s response to the 2019 IUCN Advisory mission’s recommendations,and also encourages the State Party to:a) Take measures to improve the representation of biological variables in river ecosystems, to enhance thecurrent understanding of river restoration approaches and options,b) Consider alternative methodologies to capture large wooden debris as a way to better balance riverrestoration needs with the fishery stakeholders’ concerns,c) Continue to monitor the impacts of the riverbed path pilot project, especially in relation to erosion, fishpassage and disturbance to the benthic habitat, and take prompt remedial actions in relation to any identified
impacts, as necessary, based on comprehensive scientific understanding;a)Regarding the dam modifications on the Rusha River, improvement work is underway toward completion in
2024 conforming to the roadmap created based on the results from hydraulic model experiments and numericalsimulation. To track changes in the Rusha River occurring over time due to the modifications, not only changes
to riverbed topography, but also the numbers of migrating salmon, spawning beds, and juveniles migrating
downstream are monitored. In addition, factors affecting the distribution of spawning beds, such as water depth,
flow velocity, riverbed materials and distribution of driftwood are analyzed. The improvement of the natural
spawning environment and reproductive efficiency of salmon associated with the dam modifications will also
be evaluated.

b)

As for driftwood transported from the upper river basin, we have confirmed that the driftwood was captured
during high flow events at a river bend in the wide valley floor 300 meters upstream from the third dam. While
paying close attention to the situation of driftwood after the partial dam removal, the effect of river bends on
capturing driftwood will be examined as necessary.

c)

As for the fish upstream migration, various monitoring activities will be continued to ensure that the riverbed
path functions adequately as a passage route for salmonid species, and remedial measures will be implemented
as necessary.

42-6. Response to Paragraph 8 of the Decision
8. Further request the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2022, an updated reporton the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the WorldHeritage Committee at its 46th session.

The latest state of conservation of the property and implementation status of the Decision are described in this report.
3. Other current conservation issues identified by the State Party which may have an impact on theproperty’s Outstanding Universal Value
There are no other conservation issues identified by the State Party which may impact on the Outstanding
Universal Value of the property.
4. In conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, describe any potential major
restorations, alterations and/or new construction(s) intended within the property, the buffer zone(s) and/orcorridors or other areas, where such developments may affect the Outstanding Universal Value of theproperty, including authenticity and integrity.
There are no development projects in and around the property which may affects the Outstanding Universal Valueof the property.
5. Public access to the state of conservation
Acceptable. The State Party is content for the full report to be uploaded to the World Heritage Centre’s State ofConservation Information System.

56. Signature of the authority

OKUDA Naohisa
Director-General
Nature Conservation Bureau
Ministry of the Environment
Government of JapanORITA Hiroshi
Director-General
Forestry Agency
Government of JapanSUGIURA Hisahiro
Deputy Commissioner
Agency for Cultural Affairs
Government of Japan

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