The ‘Shiretoko Approach’

Shiretoko literally means ‘the utmost end of the earth’ in the local Ainu language. The Shiretoko World Heritage site, in the north-east of Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, consists of the Shiretoko Peninsula and its surrounding marine areas. The distinguishing character of this site is the close link between the terrestrial and marine ecosystems and a number of marine and terrestrial species, including several endangered species.

In Shiretoko, local fishing communities have implemented a wide range of autonomous measures under a co-management framework to maintain responsible and sustainable fisheries. Inscription on the World Heritage List has not led to their exclusion from the area. Instead their activities are placed at the core of the management scheme to sustain ecosystem structure and function. What is significant is that the fisheries co-management was expanded to ecosystembased management to secure the conservation of this outstanding ecosystem. This collaboration with an integrated focus is called the ‘Shiretoko Approach’.

Shiretoko ecosystems

The Shiretoko World Heritage site is the southernmost limit of seasonal sea ice in the northern hemisphere. The rich and complex marine ecosystem is the result of the East Sakhalin cold current running southward towards Shiretoko bringing sea ice; the Soya warm current running south-easterly along the north-east part of Hokkaido towards Shiretoko; and the intermediate cold water derived from the Sea of Okhotsk.