Figure3-3-21 Changes in Imported Volume and Food Mileage of 4 Major Fresh Vegetables

Source : Compiled by the Ministry of the Environment from the data of the National Institute for Environmental Studies

Table3-3-7 Cost Comparison of Pellet Stoves and Kerosene Stoves

Purchase price	Operational costs
Pellet stoves	About 350 thousand yen	Necessary fuels: 2,832kg (1.3kg × 12h × 180 days)Fuel price: 118,944 yen (42 yen/kg)(Heating output 1.7-13.9kW、Fuel consumption : 0.6 - 2.25kg/h)
Kerosene stoves	About 130 thousand yen	Necessary fuels: 1,518 l (0.703 l × 12h × 180 days)Fuel price: 124,223 yen (1,473 yen/18 l)(Heating output 1.75kW-18.7kW、Fuel consumption : 0.49-1.2 l /h)

Note 1 : Purchase price, necessary fuels, heating output and fuel consumption for both pellet and kerosene stoves represent the average of 10 models.

2 : Fuel price of pellets represents the average price of 4 companies in the Tohoku district.

3 : Kerosene price is the average during six months from October, 2008 to March, 2009 in the Hokkaido and Tohoku Bureaus based on monthly surveys by the Oil Information Center of the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan

Source : Ministry of the Environment

One of the specific approaches is wet rice cultivation by pesticide-free or reduced amount of agricultural chemicals to nurture various animals that will feed on the storks.

The city established the “Agricultural Method that Helps the Oriental White Stork Survive” by (1) pesticide-free or reduced amount of agricultural chemicals, (2) reduction of chemical fertilizers and (3) such as to extend the period during which rice paddies are filled with water. The rice produced with these agricultural methods is sold as “Rice made from rice paddy field where storks can live.” The rice is sold at a price about 30% to 60% higher than that of ordinary rice, in troublesome managing weeds and water, sales are going well with some major mass retailers in other regions selling them. The crop areas by this agricultural method has been extended from 16 hectares in FY2004 to 183 hectares in FY2008.

There are also effects on tourism and the number of visitors to the Toyooka municipal museum of the oriental white storks has increased from about 120 thousand in FY2004 to about 420 thousand in FY2008 (Figure3-3-22). Professor Onuma's group at Faculty of Economics, Keio University, made a trial calculation that the annual total expenditure by stork tourists on travel and souvenirs, has reached 1.2 to 3 billion yen.

(b) Approaches to make the most of harmful wildlife and alien species as resources

The damages on agriculture, forestry and fisheries and the ecosystem caused by wild birds and mammals such as deer and wild boar, which have increased locally, and fish of foreign origin, such as largemouth bass and bluegill still remains serious. In each region, wild birds and mammals and fish of foreign origin are being controlled, in order to prevent such damages. Approaches to effectively use these animals as food, pet food and feed in each region is recently progressing. According to the recent distribution area of deer and wild boars in intermediate and mountainous areas, the distribution has been extended, heavily damaging agriculture, forestry and fisheries and eco systems. The amount of damage to farm products caused by wild birds and mammals has reached 18.5 billion yen annually (FY2007), and although the development of habitat and harmful wildlife control are under way towards the reduction of damage, the number of captured birds and mammals has been increasing year by year. The number of deer and wild boars captured nationwide in FY2005 was about 190 thousand and about 220 thousand, respectively (Figure3-3-23).

In Hokkaido, around 3 billion yen in damage was reported, due to the surge in agricultural and forestry damages caused by the extension of distribution areas and the increased population of Yezo sika deer. Under these circumstances, Hokkaido positioned the effective use of the captured Yezo sika deer as a part of conservation management, and drafted a manual for hygienically processing Yezo sika deer. In