OOggaassaawwaarraa IIssllaannddss MMaannaaggeemmeenntt PPllaann (English translation for World Heritage nomination) January 2010 Ministry of the Environment Forestry Agency Agency for Cultural Affairs Tokyo Metropolitan Government Ogasawara Village Japan Contents 1. Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 2. Basic Information of the Plan------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 1) Objectives of the Management Plan ------------------------------------------------- 1 2) Scope of the Management Plan ------------------------------------------------------ 1 3) Goal and Target Period of the Management Plan---------------------------------- 1 4) Relation with the Action Plan and Other Plans ------------------------------------ 1 3. Overview of the Ogasawara Islands ---------------------------------------------------------- 3 1) Location of the Ogasawara Islands -------------------------------------------------- 3 2) General Information ------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 3) Natural Environment ------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 4) Social Environment -------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 4. Management Goals and Basic Principles ---------------------------------------------------- 7 1) Management Goals -------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 2) Basic Principles ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 (1) Conservation of the Outstanding Natural Environment-------------------- 7 (2) Removal and Avoidance of Impacts of Alien Species --------------------- 7 (3) Harmony between Daily Life of Humans and Nature---------------------- 7 (4) Adaptive Conservation and Management------------------------------------ 8 5. Management Measures ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 1) Proper Enforcement of Protective Instruments------------------------------------- 9 2) Strategic Conservation of Ecosystems by Island--------------------------------- 12 3) Prevention of Introduction and Dispersion of New Alien Species ------------ 21 4) Environmental Considerations in Individual Projects and Research ---------- 26 5) Promotion of Lifestyle in Harmony with Nature -------------------------------- 27 6) Promotion of Wise Use and Ecotourism ------------------------------------------ 28 7) Monitoring and Information -------------------------------------------------------- 30 6. Management System-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32 1) Coordination among Stakeholders------------------------------------------------- 32 2) Adaptive Management System based on Scientific Findings ------------------ 32 3) Management Authorities ------------------------------------------------------------ 32 4) Management of Implementation of the Plan-------------------------------------- 33 7. Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34 Islands, the management authorities aim to achieve 1. Introduction close mutual communication and cooperation with other administrative agencies, the residents of the The Ogasawara Islands, located in the northwestern Ogasawara Islands, business stakeholders engaged in Pacific Ocean to the south of the Japanese tourism, agriculture, and fishery, researchers, Archipelago, consist of sporadically distributed nonprofit organizations (NPOs), visitors including islands extending approximately 400 km from north tourists, and other stakeholders (hereafter referred to to south. Each component island is an oceanic collectively as “stakeholders”). island that, since time of origin, has never been connected by land to the continent. The Ogasawara 2) Scope of the Management Plan Islands were uninhabited until 1830 and were The nominated property is composed of all the therefore called the “Bonin Islands” (“bonin” derives islands of the Ogasawara Archipelago excluding from the Japanese word meaning no inhabitation). Chichijima and Hahajima, most parts of Chichijima The ecosystems of these oceanic islands have been and Hahajima, as well as the whole islands of preserved very well. Nishinoshima, Kita-iwoto, and Minami-iwoto. The Ogasawara Islands were formed by island arc For the purpose of conservation and management volcanic activities approximately 48 to 44 million of the natural environment of the nominated property, years ago. In no other place in the world is it is actions such as the removal of the impacts of alien possible to observe on-land records of the initial species need to be taken. Because most of these stages of island arc formation at the subduction zone actions must be implemented integrally without of oceanic tectonic plates. In addition, the distinction between the nominated property and its organisms of the Ogasawara Islands have diverse surroundings, this Management Plan covers the entire origins. Not only have many endemic species been Ogasawara Islands including the nominated property, produced through unique evolutionary processes, but surrounding land, and marine areas, in addition to many of these species still survive today, providing ship navigation routes. the opportunity for us to observe their ongoing The geographical area covered by this evolutionary processes. Management Plan is shown in the figure below, In recognition of the value of the natural together with the area that is nominated for environment of the Ogasawara Islands, which feature inscription on the World Heritage List. globally rare ecosystems and geologic characteristics, and to pass this environment on to future generations as the common property of all humanity, the 3) Goal and Target Period of the Ogasawara Islands Management Plan (hereafter Management Plan referred to as the “Management Plan”) has been This Management Plan contains management prepared and is presented herein. measures necessary to achieve the overall management goal. It sets out activities to be implemented over the next 5 to 10 years to achieve 2. Basic Information of the Plan long-term goals. The plan will be reviewed and 2. Basic Information of the Plan revised as necessary, in response to changes in the natural environment and social circumstances. 1) Objectives of the Management Plan The objectives of the Management Plan are to 4) Relation with the Action Plan and clarify basic policies concerning the enforcement of Other Plans various conservation and management instruments Other Plans and to promote appropriate and smooth conservation The Action Plan is a detailed plan under the and management of the natural environment of all the Management Plan that complements the Management Ogasawara Islands (for the purpose of this Plan. The Action plan demonstrates the priority Management Plan, the phrase “Ogasawara Islands” sequence and process of short-term targets and refers to the Ogasawara Archipelago, the Kazan activities. Island Group (known as Volcano Islands), Individual plans based on different laws created by Nishinoshima Island, and the surrounding marine each management authority and individual project area), including the area constituting the natural implementation plans shall take into account the property nominated for inscription on the World Management Plan and Action Plan. Consolidated Heritage List (hereafter referred to as the “nominated planning framework shall therefore be established. property”). The Ministry of the Environment, the Forestry Agency, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and Ogasawara Village (hereafter referred to as the “management authorities”) are responsible for the various instruments for conservation and management of the natural environment. For the conservation and management of the 1 Fig. 1-1 World Heritage Management Area Nominated property World Heritage Management Area Hahajima Island Group Chichijima Island Group Ototojima Island Anijima Island Nishijima Island Hahajima Island Higashijima Mukohjima Island Island Hirajima Island Meijima Island Chichijima Imotojima Island Island Anejima Island Minamijima Island Kita-iwoto Island Mukojima Island Group Mukojima Island Group Yomejima Island Kitanoshima Island Mukojima Island Minami-iwoto Island Nishinoshima Island Nakodojima Island 2 islands are securely conserved. 3. Overview of the Ogasawara Islands 3) Natural Environment i) Geology 1) Location of the Ogasawara Islands The Ogasawara Islands make up an oceanic island The Ogasawara Islands lie in the northwestern arc that was formed on an oceanic crust (Fig. 2-1). Pacific to the south of the Japanese Archipelago, with The Izu-Ogasawara (Bonin) Arc, on which the Chichijima Island, located approximately 1,000 km Ogasawara Archipelago and the Kazan Island Group from Tokyo, and other islands sporadically rest, is an island arc-trench system extending 1,500 distributed over 400 km from north to south. The km in length that was formed along the eastern edge islands are divided into the Ogasawara Archipelago of the oceanic Philippine Sea plate as a result of the (consisting of the Chichijima Island Group, the subduction of the Pacific plate 48 Ma (Ma: Hahajima Island Group, and the Mukojima Island megaannum, or million years ago). The Group), and the Kazan Island Group and surrounding Izu-Ogasawara Arc is one of the most studied in isolated islands such as Nishinoshima. Chichijima, terms of geophysics, geology, and petrology because the