Wildlife Protection Areas in Japan

File:Yatsuhigata 04x4720s.jpg

Notification of a Wildlife Protection Area and Special Protection Area in Yatsu-higata, a tidal flat and Ramsar Site in Tokyo Bay

Wildlife Protection Areas (鳥獣保護区, chōjū hogoku) in Japan are established by the Ministry of the Environment and, for areas of more local importance, by the Prefectural Governments in order "to protect and promote the reproduction of birds and mammals" in accordance with the 2002 Wildlife Protection and Hunting Law (鳥獣の保護及び狩猟の適正化に関する法律) (superseding the amended 1918 Law). The areas established have a maximum duration of twenty years (subject to renewal) and hunting is prohibited within them. Special Protection Areas (特別保護地区) are designated within the Wildlife Protection Areas in order to protect habitats and ecosystems.

Classification of wildlife

The wildlife of Japan is classified either as game species or protected species. The former includes thirty species of bird and seventeen of mammal that are considered (1) able to withstand hunting (2) harmful to agriculture and forestry (3) useful for meat or other derivatives. These species include the brown bear, black bear, Japanese deer, Japanese hare, Japanese quail, and Japanese pheasant. Over six hundred species are protected. Insectivorous mammals and rats are excluded from protection since they are considered harmful to agriculture; some marine mammals fall under the alternative jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. While the number of animals hunted is falling with the decline in the number of hunters, the number of birds and mammals "controlled" is rising in relation to damage to crops.

Established Wildlife Protection Areas

As of 1 November 2011, seventy-nine Wildlife Protection Areas had been established at a national level, covering an area of 5,772 km², including 1,561 km² of Special Protection Areas. A further three Wildlife Protection Areas totalling 52.3 km² were established in June 2012, prior to the eleventh Ramsar wetland conference which takes place from 6 to 13 July 2012. As of 31 December 2011, 3,783 Wildlife Protection Areas had been established at a prefectural level, covering an area of 30,572 km², including 1,495 km² of prefectural Special Protectional Areas. The eighty-two nationally designated areas, divided into the four classes of large habitats (大規模生息地), wetland areas (集団渡来地), breeding areas (集団繁殖地), and habitats of rare birds and mammals (希少鳥獣生息地), are as follows:

Wildlife Protection Area	Designated Name	Prefecture	Area (km2)	First Established	Image	Class	Coordinates
Daisetsuzan	大雪山鳥獣保護区	Hokkaidō	355.34	1992	150px	1
Towada	十和田鳥獣保護区	Aomori, Akita	376.74	1953		1
Shirakami-Sanchi	白神山地鳥獣保護区	Aomori, Akita	171.57	2004		1
Asama	浅間鳥獣保護区	Gunma, Nagano	309.40	1951	150px	1
Hakusan	白山鳥獣保護区	Ishikawa, Gifu	380.61	1969		1
Ōdai Mountains	大台山系鳥獣保護区	Mie, Nara	180.54	1972	150px	1
Tsurugi Mountains	剣山山系鳥獣保護区	Tokushima, Kōchi	118.17	1988	150px	1
Daisen	大山鳥獣保護区	Tottori	51.56	1958	150px	1
Ishizuchi Mountains	石鎚山系鳥獣保護区	Ehime, Kōchi	108.58	1977	150px	1
Kirishima	霧島鳥獣保護区	Miyazaki, Kagoshima	113.90	1978	150px	1
Hamatonbetsu Lake Kutcharo	浜頓別クッチャロ湖鳥獣保護区	Hokkaidō	28.03	1983		2
Sarobetsu	サロベツ鳥獣保護区	Hokkaidō	37.39	1992	150px	2
Lake Tōfutsu	濤沸湖鳥獣保護区	Hokkaidō	20.51	1992	150px	2
Notsuke Peninsula-Notsuke Bay	野付半島・野付湾鳥獣保護区	Hokkaidō	61.46	2005	150px	2
Lake Furen	風蓮湖鳥獣保護区	Hokkaidō	78.06	1993	150px	2
Akkeshi-Bekanbeushi-Kiritappu	厚岸・別寒辺牛・霧多布鳥獣保護区	Hokkaidō	112.71	1993	150px	2
Miyajima-numa	宮島沼鳥獣保護区	Hokkaidō	0.41	1992	150px	2
Lake Utonai	ウトナイ湖鳥獣保護区	Hokkaidō	5.10	1982		2
Kominato	小湊鳥獣保護区	Aomori	45.18	1971		2
Izu-numa	伊豆沼鳥獣保護区	Miyagi	14.55	1982	150px	2
Sendai Beach	仙台海浜鳥獣保護区	Miyagi	75.96	1987		2
Kabukuri-numa and the surrounding rice paddies	蕪栗沼・周辺水田鳥獣保護区	Miyagi	30.61	2005	150px	2
Kejo-numa	化女沼鳥獣保護区	Miyagi	0.78	2008	150px	2
Mogami River Mouth	最上川河口鳥獣保護区	Yamagata	15.37	2005		2
Ōyama Kamiike-Shimoike	大山上池・下池鳥獣保護区	Yamagata	0.39	2008		2
Watara Reservoir	渡良瀬遊水地鳥獣保護区	Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama	28.61	2012	150px	2
Fukushimagata	福島潟鳥獣保護区	Niigata	1.63	1974	150px	2
Lake Hyōko	瓢湖鳥獣保護区	Niigata	2.81	2005		2
Sakata Lagoon	佐潟鳥獣保護区	Niigata	2.51	1981	150px	2
Yatsu	谷津鳥獣保護区	Chiba	0.41	1988	150px	2
Katano Kamoike	片野鴨池鳥獣保護区	Ishikawa	0.10	1993	150px	2
Fujimae-higata	藤前干潟鳥獣保護区	Aichi	7.70	2002	150px	2
Hamakōshien	浜甲子園鳥獣保護区	Hyōgo	0.30	1978		2
Nakaumi	中海鳥獣保護区	Tottori, Shimane	87.24	1974	150px	2
Lake Shinji	宍道湖鳥獣保護区	Shimane	78.51	2005		2
Wajiro-higata	和白干潟鳥獣保護区	Fukuoka	2.54	2003	150px	2
Arao-higata	荒尾干潟鳥獣保護区	Kumamoto	18.23	2012		2
Izumi-Takaono	出水・高尾野鳥獣保護区	Kagoshima	8.42	1987	150px	2
Yagaji	屋我地鳥獣保護区	Okinawa	32.24	1976	150px	2
Lake Man	漫湖鳥獣保護区	Okinawa	1.74	1977	150px	2
Yonaha Bay	与那覇湾鳥獣保護区	Okinawa	13.66	2011		2
Ikema	池間鳥獣保護区	Okinawa	2.82	2011		2
Teuri Island	天売島鳥獣保護区	Hokkaidō	5.51	1982	150px	3
Yururi-Moyururi	ユルリ・モユルリ鳥獣保護区	Hokkaidō	1.99	1982		3
Daikoku Island	大黒島鳥獣保護区	Hokkaidō	1.07	1972		3
Hide Island	日出島鳥獣保護区	Iwate	0.08	1982		3
Sangan Island	三貫島鳥獣保護区	Iwate	0.25	1981		3
Tadanae-jima	祗苗島鳥獣保護区	Tokyo	5.93	2010		3
Ōnohara-jima	大野原島鳥獣保護区	Tokyo	5.46	2010		3
Nishinoshima	西之島鳥獣保護区	Tokyo	0.29	2008		3
North Iwo Jima	北硫黄島鳥獣保護区	Tokyo	8.60	2009		3
Minamitorishima	南鳥島鳥獣保護区	Tokyo	3.95	2009		3
Nanatsu-jima	七ツ島鳥獣保護区	Ishikawa	0.24	1973	150px	3
Kiinagashima	紀伊長島鳥獣保護区	Mie	61.31	1969		3
Kanmurijima-Kutsujima	冠島・沓島鳥獣保護区	Kyoto	13.00	2010	150px	3
Kakuijima	鹿久居島鳥獣保護区	Okayama	6.62	1953	150px	3
Okinoshima	沖ノ島鳥獣保護区	Fukuoka	0.97	1984		3
Danjo Islands	男女群島鳥獣保護区	Nagasaki	4.16	1973		3
Birōjima	枇榔島鳥獣保護区	Miyazaki	4.82	2010	150px	3
Kusagakijima	草垣島鳥獣保護区	Kagoshima	0.21	1973		3
Nakanokamijima	仲の神島鳥獣保護区	Okinawa	0.18	1981	150px	3
Shiretoko	知床鳥獣保護区	Hokkaidō	440.53	1982	150px	4
Kushiro Shitsugen	釧路湿原鳥獣保護区	Hokkaidō	115.23	1958	150px	4
Western Shimokita	下北西部鳥獣保護区	Aomori	49.46	1984		4
Hotokenuma	仏沼鳥獣保護区	Aomori	7.37	2005	150px	4
Ōgata-sōgen	大潟草原鳥獣保護区	Akita	1.35	1977		4
Moriyoshizan	森吉山鳥獣保護区	Akita	66.16	1973	150px	4
Ōshima Asahi	大鳥朝日鳥獣保護区	Yamagata, Niigata	382.85	1984	150px	4
Torishima	鳥島鳥獣保護区	Tokyo	4.53	1954		4
Ogasawara	小笠原群島鳥獣保護区	Tokyo	200.58	1980	150px	4
Eastern Sado	小佐渡東部鳥獣保護区	Niigata	126.20	1982		4
Northern Alps	北アルプス鳥獣保護区	Toyama, Nagano, Gifu	1,103.06	1984	150px	4
Maruyama River Basin	円山川下流域鳥獣保護区	Hyōgo	5.50	2012		4
Sainan	西南鳥獣保護区	Kōchi	15.33	1979		4
Ina	伊奈鳥獣保護区	Nagasaki	11.73	1988		4
Yuwan-dake	湯湾岳鳥獣保護区	Kagoshima	3.20	1965		4
Nagura-Anparu	名蔵アンパル鳥獣保護区	Okinawa	11.45	2003	150px	4
Yanbaru (Ada)	やんばる（安田）鳥獣保護区	Okinawa	12.79	2009		4
Yanbaru (Aha)	やんばる（安波）鳥獣保護区	Okinawa	4.65	2009		4
Daitō Islands	大東諸島鳥獣保護区	Okinawa	42.51	2004	150px	4
Yonaguni	与那国鳥獣保護区	Okinawa	10.40	2010	150px	4
Iriomote	西表鳥獣保護区	Okinawa	102.18	1992		4

This list is complete and up-to-date as of June 2012.

Complementary measures

Wildlife Protection Areas are just one element in a network of complementary protected area systems. Others include Wilderness Areas and Nature Conservation Areas under the Nature Conservation Law; Natural Parks under the Natural Parks Law; Natural Habitat Conservation Areas under the Law for the Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; Natural Monuments and Special Natural Monuments under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties 1950; Nature Conservation Forests under the National Forest Management Bylaw; and Protected Waters under the Preservation of Fisheries Resources Law. Areas are also protected in accordance with three international programmes: the World Heritage Convention (see Yakushima, Shirakami-Sanchi, Shiretoko, and Ogasawara Islands); Man and the Biosphere Programme (see Yakushima, Mount Ōmine/Mount Ōdaigahara, Hakusan, and Shiga Kōgen); and the Ramsar Convention (see Ramsar Sites in Japan).

See also

• Wildlife of Japan
• National Parks of Japan
• Environmental issues in Japan

External links

• Protected areas in Japan (Ministry of the Environment)
• Overview of wildlife protection in Japan (Ministry of the Environment)
• Map of all 82 Wildlife Protection Areas (Ministry of the Environment)
• (Japanese) Wildlife protection in Japan (Ministry of the Environment)ja:鳥獣保護区