Decision 43 COM 7B.10

Shiretoko (Japan) (N 1193)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decisions 39 COM 7B.13 and 41 COM 7B.30, adopted at its 39th (Bonn, 2015) and 41st (Krakow, 2017) sessions respectively,
3. Welcomes the joint surveys undertaken by the States Parties of Japan and the Russian Federation concerning the Western Steller Sea Lion rookeries in Russia and their plans to develop a population dynamic model of this subspecies to inform management, and requests the States Parties to submit the findings to the World Heritage Centre once they are available;
4. Noting the reported ongoing damage caused by pinnipeds to coastal fisheries and the conclusion that the non-lethal measures used have not yet been effective in reducing the damage, also requests the State Party to provide justification for the need to continue culling in terms of its effectiveness in reducing the damage to fisheries and urges the State Party to reconsider the current level of culling of the Western Steller Sea Lion based on a precautionary approach considering that accurate and comprehensive data on this subspecies continues to be lacking and until such data is available to inform management;
5. Notes with concern the lack of detail on the monitoring and management of the Western Steller Sea Lion in the Management Plan and the Multiple Use Integrated Marine Management Plan, and further requests the State Party to ensure that these documents are further strengthened and reflect such a precautionary approach towards management of the Western Steller Sea Lion population;
6. Also welcomes the State Party’s commitment to restore the Rusha River to its most natural state possible, including the progress made in assessing options for the removal of three check dams and alternatives to the bridge, and notes with appreciation the State Party’s invitation for an IUCN Advisory mission in Autumn 2019 to provide further advice on this matter;
7. Encourages the State Party to continue monitoring the impacts of climate change on the property and to develop adaptive management strategies to minimize any impacts of climate change on its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);
8. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2020, 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 45th session in 2021.