Decision 40 COM 7B.100

Volcanoes of Kamchatka (Russian Federation) (N 765)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 39 COM 7B.20, adopted at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015),
3. Welcomes the confirmation that no hydropower projects are planned within the property or in adjacent areas and that the Government of Kamchatka has been requested to consider alternative power sources;
4. Acknowledges the measures undertaken by the State Party in the field of species monitoring and requests the State Party to continue its efforts;
5. Also welcomes the information provided by the State Party that there have been no changes to the boundaries of the four components of the property which are regional nature parks, as well as the provided cartographic material, but notes however that there continues to be some discrepancy between the total area of the four nature parks reported by the State Party in its state of conservation report and in its 2014 Periodic Report, and also requests the State Party to clarify the total area of each component of the property and explain any discrepancies;
6. Notes with concern the conclusion of the State Party that the property might be threatened in the future by increasing illegal hunting and fishing, and urges the State Party to increase anti-poaching activities in the entire property and to provide the necessary resources for these activities;
7. Notes with utmost concern that the areas of the four nature parks are also threatened by hunting and fishing within their boundaries, and further requests the State Party to consider strengthening the protection regime of the four regional nature parks of the property, as recommended by the 2007 mission, and to submit to the World Heritage Centre, as a matter of urgency, detailed information on the current zoning regime of each nature park and on the allowed activities in each zone;
8. Also urges the State Party to ensure that no activities, that could negatively affect its Outstanding Universal Value and integrity, are permitted within the boundaries of the property;
9. Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2017, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 42nd session in 2018.