As a result, a committee looking into that fatal accident made proposals, and the facility was improved, and workers were stationed on-site to oversee Program for the Rehabilitation of Natural Habitats and Maintenance of Viable Population of the Japanese Crested Ibis. Following releases in 2008 and 2009, Japanese crested ibis were released into the wild for the third time in November 2010 and for the fourth time in March 2011.

In January 2011, to address bird strikes, including those involving endangered species, at wind power generation facilities, the government compiled various knowledge, information, and preventive measures that should be considered to reduce effects on bird species, into a “Guidebook for Appropriate Location of Wind Power Generation Facilities to Avoid Bird Strike.”

For species such as Japanese crested ibis, Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus, and Gallirallus okinawae that have an extremely high risk of extinction and that are hard to maintain using only conservation policies in their original habitats, conservation measures are being taken outside their habitats, such as breeding them in captivity. The government developed the “Basic Policy for Ex-situ Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora in Japan” in FY 2008, and the “Basic Concept on Returning Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to the Wild” in FY 2010. The government also conducted model projects (three projects for animals and two projects for plants) with the objective of establishing techniques for conservation of wild fauna and flora outside their habitats and returning plants and animals from ex-situ conservation facilities to the wild.

Since October 2010, highlypathogenic Avian Influenza has been detected in fecal samples of waterfowl and swab samples of dead wild birds and poultry across Japan in places such as Hokkaido, Tottori Prefecture, and Kagoshima Prefecture. In addition to performing a regular survey of viruses and elucidating the status of the birds' migration, the government has strengthened the surveillance of wild birds throughout Japan with the cooperation of local governments. The government also continued to conduct appropriate protection, and management of birds and animals also continues to be conducted.

The Law for Ensuring the Safety of Pet Food (Law No. 83 of 2008) was enacted in June 2009. Based on this law, the pet food manufactured after December 2010 must be labeled with information regarding five categories including raw materials, the country of the production, and the date of expiration.

## (4) Efforts to Ensure Connections among Forests, Villages, Rivers, and the Ocean

The government made a general evaluation of the nature of the national and quasi-national parks in accordance with changes in the natural environment and in social circumstances and diversification of landscape scenery, and released the compiled findings in October 2010. As a result, 18 areas, including the Amami Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture and the Yanbaru area of Okinawa Prefecture, were selected as candidates for newly designated national or quasi-national parks or for a large-scale expansion. During the next decade, the government will conduct field research, initiate coordination for those candidate areas, and consider the designation of specific areas. In Japan, this is the first review and announcement of candidates for national or quasi-national parks in the last 39 years (first time since 1971), and this is the very first analysis based on scientific data.

In FY 2010, the government reconsidered park zones and park plans for Shirotoko National Park, Bandai-Asahi National Park, Oze National Park, Joshin'etsuk-Kogen National Park, Hakusan National Park, Zao Quasi-National Park, Yatsugatake-Chushink-Kogen Quasi-National Park, and Aichik-Kogen Quasi-National Park. In particular, the Suzaka-Takayama area of Joshinetsu Kogen National Park was entirely reconsidered for the first time since its designation in 1949. Specifically, 1,765ha of its land, including wind-swept sites and subalpine coniferous forests, was changed from ordinary zones to special zones to further protect the area. In addition, the ecosystem management work, which started with the revision of the Natural Parks Law in 2009, was additionally applied to Shirotoko, Oze, and Hakusan National Parks, enabling comprehensive and adaptive measures against ecosystem damage caused by deer and alien plants.

Based on the Wildlife Protection and Hunting Law (Law No. 88 of 2002), the zones that require particular protection of wildlife are designated as national wildlife protection areas. In FY 2010, Tadanaejima, Onoharajima, Kanmurijima-Kutsujima, Birojima, and Yonaguni were newly designated, and as of the end of March 2011 throughout Japan there were 77 national wildlife protection areas (569,245ha), 67 national wildlife special protection areas (146,552ha), and 2 national wildlife protection designated areas (1,159ha).

In September 2010 the Ministry of the Environment developed the “Action Plan for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Satochi-satoyama” with the objective of expanding efforts by various entities to form a national movement. In addition, the Ministry of the Environment will introduce activity sites and experts on its webpages in order to promote volunteer activity participation by urban residents, as well as carry out training sessions, to provide advice and other assistance for continuation and promotion of activities aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of satochi-satoyama.

Following the development of the Basic Plan on Ocean Policy based on the Basic Act on Ocean Policy (Law No. 33 of 2007), the Ministry of the Environment formulated the Strategy for Conservation of Marine Biodiversity, indicating Japan's points of view on marine protection areas, among others.

The Ministry of the Environment also formulated the Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reef Ecosystems to promote comprehensive efforts to conserve coral reefs.

## (5) Efforts to Take Actions from a Global Point of View

In order to facilitate information-sharing, opinion exchanges, and collaboration among a variety of sectors for COP10, which took place in the City of Nagoya,