State of conservation report of Shiretoko
In response to the World Heritage Committee Decision 36COM7B.12

Ministry of the Environment
Forestry Agency
January 2015

I ．Update statistics on annual Steller sea lion quotas and numberscaught and report on population trends within the property(decision:Item4)
Update statistics on annual Steller sea lion quotas and numberscaught
1. With respect to Steller sea lions (SSLs) that migrate to Hokkaido, the Fisheries
Agency of Japan (FAJ) provides the Hokkaido Government every year with anannual allowable catch number, which serves as the scientific basis for
management purposes. The Hokkaido Fishing Zone Coordination Commission,under the supervision of the Hokkaido Government, then sets annual catchlimits.

The annual allowable catch numbers were calculated on the basis of the PBR(Potential Biological Removal) level for the migration seasons from 2007 /08 to2013/14. For the migration seasons from 2010 to 2014, a block quota (i.e. anaggregate quota) was originally set for the five-year period based on the PBRlevel, and catch has been managed in accordance with that quota. The annual
allowable catch numbers have therefore been calculated by reference to thedegree as to how much the PBR and block quotas have been used up.

However, for the 2014/15 migration season, which is the last year of the current
block quota period, the annual allowable catch numbers were presented
separately for the Sea of Japan migrating group and the Nemuro (Shiretoko)
migrating group. For the Sea of Japan migrating group, the population has
recovered rapidly in recent years and increased enough to be downgraded fromthe threatened species. On the other hand, such population recovery has started
causing serious damage to the fisheries. Against this background, the annual
allowable catch numbers were recalculated scientifically in accordance with abasic management approach that had been newly presented by FAJ ((i) theobjective should be to minimize damage to the fisheries caused by SSLs to theextent of posing no risk of SSL extinction; and (ii) in light of the past experienceof letting the population decrease to be listed as threatened species, SSLs
should be managed based on the precautionary and adaptive approach).

Forthe Nemuro (Shiretoko) migrating group, the annual allowable catch number was
set to be the same as the most recent catch quota for the Nemuro district set by
the Hokkaido Government within the annual catch limit.

Table 1

Annual allowable catch numbers(Number of individuals)
2009/102010/112011/122012/132013/142014/15

Sea of Japanmigrating

501

group
Nemuro

144

156

197

(Shiretoko)
migrating

257

257
15

group
(Fisheries Agency)

2.

The Hokkaido Government manages catches by allocating the catch quota foreach district within the annual catch limits of SSL set by the Hokkaido Fishing
Zone Coordination Commission (Table 2), and on the basis of the catch records
from the previous year and the state of damage to the fisheries, as well as
information on SSL spotting from fishermen. For the Nemuro district, the catch
quotas have been set at a level similar to, or not substantially exceeding, thecatch records for the previous year (Table 3), in spite of the fact that fisheries
damage has been growing year after year.

Note that up until 2013/14, figures set for the respective districts were changed(upwards or downwards) midterm on an as-needed basis, considering the catch
numbers and fisheries damage of given season, as well as information on SSL
spotting from fishermen, that were relevant to the respective districts. The
numbers were managed thereby to the extent that they should not exceed theprefecture-wide quota. However, as the annual catch limits have been presented
separately for the Sea of Japan migrating group and for the Nemuro migratinggroup - an approach that has started from 2014/15 as described earlier - proper
catch management is now slated to continue so that catches should not exceed
the respective catch limit (501 for the Sea of Japan migrating group and 15 for
the Nemuro migrating group).

Table 2

Annual catch limits of SSL in Hokkaido offshore waters(Number of individuals)
2009/102010/112011/122012/132013/142014/15(2009.10.1(2010.10.1(2011.10.1(2012.10.1(2013.10.1(2014.9.1-2010.6.30)-2011.6.30)-2012.6.30)-2013.6.30)-2014.6.30)-2015.6.30)

144

156

197

253

253

516

Hokkaido(Hokkaido Fishing Zone Coordination Commission)

Table 3Catch quota or Annual catch limit for the Nemuro district within the annual
catch limits shown in Table 2(Number of individuals)
2009/102010/112011/122012/132013/142014/15(2009.10.1(2010.10.1(2011.10.1(2012.10.1(2013.10.1(2014.9.1-2010.6.30)-2011.6.30)-2012.6.30)-2013.6.30)-2014.6.30)-2015.6.30)

12(*1)

1012

12→15(*2)

12→15

15

Nemurodistrict(Hokkaido Government)* Catch figures set for the Nemuro district containing the Shiretoko World NaturalHeritage Site(*1) The 2009/10 figures are the numbers set for "Other districts" excluding Soya,Rumoi, Ishikari and Shiribeshi(*2) (→) indicates a change in the set figure made midterm in consideration of thestate of fisheries damage, etc.

Table 4

State of catches(Number of individuals)

Hokkaido
Nemurodistrict

2009/102010/112011/122012/132013/14(2009.10(2010.10(2011.10(2012.10(2013.10-2010.6)-2011.6)-2012.6)-2013.6)-2014.6)

122

115

195249253

86101413* This shows the catch records for the Nemuro district and is not limited to thearea within the Shiretoko World Natural Heritage Site.
(Hokkaido Government)Report on population trends within the property
3.

The population of the Eastern subspecies, found to the east of Cape Suckling in
Alaska, has been on the rise since the mid 1970s at the rate of approximately
3% per year. The population of the Central in the vicinity of the Aleutian Islands,
belonging to the Western subspecies found to the west of the same cape,dropped rapidly in the 1970s, but has been increasing slightly (1% yr -1 ) since
2000. The Asian group, another among the Western subspecies that occurs to
the west of the Commander Islands, experienced a rapid population decline up
until the 1980s, but it has then either remained stable or decreased in the westof the Bering Sea and to the east of the Kamchatka Peninsula, while showing anupward trend in recent years in the Kuril Islands and the Sea of Okhotsk at therate of 4% yr -1 . In particular, a sharp increase in pup number has been marked
on Tuleny Island in the vicinity of Sakhalin.

In the red list revision in 2012, the International Union for Conservation ofNature (IUCN) lowered the category of the species from Vulnerableto Near
Threatened. In Japan, SSLs were assessed as Vulnerable (VU) on the red lists
issued by the Ministry of the Environment but the category was lowered to Near
Threatened (NT) in the red lists revised in 2012 (the 4th Version of the Japanese
Red Lists, released on August 28, 2012). The reasons include: it is estimatedthat there are roughly 5,800 SSLs migrating to Japan (FY2009, FisheriesAgency) and; the population of their origin, the Asian group, has been on theincrease since the 1990s (Fisheries Agency and Fisheries Research Agency,"FY2013 Current Status of International Fishery Stocks").

4. The state of SSL migration on the east coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula issurveyed by frequent land-based sighting survey in the winter season between
November and February, with six fixed observation points set along the coastlineof Rausu Town and the northern part of Shibetsu Town. Ever since the largest
count (*3) attained 126 in 2009/10 (between November 16, 2009 and February
15, 2010), the spotting of over 100 migrating SSLs is confirmed every year.

(*3) A series of land-based observation on swimming SSLs were performed at a
total of 6 fixed observation points along the eastern coast of the Shiretoko
Peninsula including the Heritage area. Sequential counts were taken whenswimming SSLs were found during a 5-10 minutes of scanning of the sea surface
from each observation point, using 8x to 10x binoculars. After a series of counts
continuing 10-30 minutes, a maximum count was adopted as the data of the day

at each point. The numbers of SSLs counted on the same day at the six points
were summed up (a daily count). The survey was performed for multiple days
including the peak period of SSLs’ sighting (between mid-Dec. and mid-Jan.) ineach year, the largest value of the daily counts for each season was defined as
the "largest count." Note that on the east coast of Shiretoko Peninsula, there is noSSL hauling out while they float and rest in groups off the coast of each of theparticular locations (which match the observation points described above) during
daytime between November and February. For that reason, any count of SSLs
landing occasionally at some locations is not appropriate as a means of studying
SSLs as far as Shiretoko is concerned.

Table 5

State of SSL wintering migration on the east coast of Shiretoko Peninsula

after the World Heritage List inscription (Largest count by survey year)(Number of individuals)
2006/07

2007/08

2008/09

2009/102010/112011/12

2012/132013/14

winterwinterwinterwinterwinterwinterwinterwinterseasonseasonseasonseasonseasonseasonseasonseason(2006.10.21(2007.9.30(2008.11.3(2009.11.16(2010.11.15(2011.10.22(2012.11.21(2013.11.2-2007.4.26)-2008.3.8)-2009.3.10)-2010.2.15)-2011.2.14)-2012.2.4)-2013.2.12 )-2014.2.7)

95

98

60

126

179

128

131110(Ishinazaka et al. (2009), Bulletin of the Shiretoko Museum 30:27-53.; Shiretoko
Nature Foundation independent research project data (Proceedings of the 17th
Conference of the Wildlife Conservation Society of Japan, pp. 85-86, etc.),Ishinazaka (2009) Eumetopias jubatus (Schreber, 1776) In: The Wild Mammals ofJapan. Shoukadoh, Kyoto, pp. 284-285)

II ．R eport on the state of conservation of the property, including progressachieved in addressing the conflict between fishers and Steller sealion (Decision:Item6)
1.

Damage to the fisheries caused by SSLs consists of direct damage in the formof broken nets and indirect damage due to lost fishery incomes resulting fromdamaged catches and loss of fishing opportunity by broken nets. The amount of
those damages to the coastal fisheries in Hokkaido has exceeded one billion yen
for 20 years, and the situation has become increasingly serious in recent years,
especially due to the growing population of migrating SSLs and theirextended

migration periods, among other factors.

Table 6

State of fisheries damage caused by SSLs (Hokkaido)(In millions of yen)
FY2009FY2010FY2011FY2012FY2013

661

710

680

530

529

5－－－

55

693

898

818

1,082

1,449

1151

63

209

302

1,354

1,608

1,497

1,612

1,979

1651

63

209

357

Amount ofdamage tofishing gear
Nemurodistrict
portionAmount ofdamage tocatches
Nemurodistrict
portionSum total
Nemurodistrict
portion* The amounts of damage for the Nemuro district is not limited to the area within theShiretoko World Natural Heritage Site.
(Hokkaido Government)

2.

In Hokkaido, there are prefecture-wide efforts under which theLiaison

Committee for Mammal Damage Prevention was set up in the government's
headquarters, as well as a

Liaison Council for Marine Mammal Damage

Prevention in each (general) subprefectural bureau

including in the Nemuro

Subprefectural Bureau, and comprehensive marine mammal-control steps arepushed forward in partnership with groups associated with the fisheries,
municipal governments, associated prefectural government bodies and otherorganizations, working to ensure accurate comprehension of the state ofdamage through fisheries damage surveys and to provide support for actions
being taken to address the damage, including introducing reinforced bottom
pound nets and implementing capture procedures.

In the Nemuro district, Rausu Town developed a wildlife damage prevention planin an effort to address fisheries damage, including implementing repelling orcapture procedures, and is planning to continue taking further steps aimed at thecoexistence of SSLs and fisheries, with various organizations working incooperation.

Furthermore, the Ministry of the Environment and the Hokkaido Government
have also established the Multiple Use Integrated Marine Management Plan for
Shiretoko World Natural Heritage Site with the aim of achieving two goals
together: the conservation of the marine ecosystem and the lasting andproductive fisheries through the sustainable use of marine resources in thewaters within the heritage site.
With the SSL designated as one of the indicator species characterizing themarine ecosystem of Shiretoko in the course of those actions, monitoring
surveys, including counting the number of migrating SSLs, are carried out andtheir findings are reported to the Shiretoko World Natural Heritage Site ScientificCouncil, which then provides advice from scientific perspectives: efforts are thus
being made for the purpose of marine ecosystem conservation and managementin the waters within the heritage site.