Directory of Protected Areas in East Asia - IUCN

Name Latitude/Longitude Area (ha)
Date of
inscription
Katano-kamoike 36°19’N/136°17’E 10 1993
Principal features: The area consists of a 2.5ha pond (max. 2.5m depth) and marsh land. Two waterways
originating in the hills to the east supply the pond’s water. During the winter the marshy area fills and is
connected to the pond. The pond functions as an agricultural reservoir between May and August, when water
from the pond flows into rice paddies to the north. The quality of the water flowing into the pond is fairly good.
The climate is characterised by substantial rain, a cold northwest wind and changeable weather. However the
coastal position of the site keeps the average yearly temperature at about 14 o C. The hills around the wetland are
covered with forest. The site is an important resting place for up to 190 species of birds. These include species
designated as nationally rare wild species such as Accipiter gentilis and Haliaeetus albicilla. It is the largest
wintering area for Anser albifrons and Anser fabalis in western Japan. The site attracts more than 10,000
wildfowl, including Anas platyrhynchos and Anas formosa every winter.
Conservation issues: Land tenure is divided between privately owned land (6.9ha), public land (0.8ha) and the
privately owned pond. The entire wetland was designated as a special protection zone of a prefectural wildlife
protection area in 1968, as a prefectural natural monument in 1969, and as a special protection zone of the
Echizen Kaga Coast Quasi-national Park (class 2) in 1968. In this area, construction, modification of land,
mining, reclamation, changing the water level and taking wildlife are prohibited without the permission of the
governor. In order to ensure sufficient water surface for wildfowl, some of the wetland plants are cut every
autumn. Planned measures include: current protection status will be changed to a special protection area of a
national wildlife protection area, and the special protection zone of the Echizen Kaga Coast Quasi-national Park
“class 2" will become ”class 1". The Kaga City Kamoike Sanctuary Visitor Centre, which attracts many people
for bird-watching and nature appreciation, provides educational instruction through specialists. These specialists
also monitor and study the flora and fauna of the site, as well as environmental changes. The area surrounding
the wetland is made up of both national government and privately-owned forests, of which approximately 100ha
have been designated as a hunting ground. In this area, only the traditional 300 year old method of hunting using
nets is permitted for the hunting of wildfowl. In the eastern part of the wetland is the Shimofukuda Reservoir,
which supplies water to the pond. Marshy areas adjacent to the pond have not been farmed for a long time, and
watercourses and paths have disintegrated. Colonisation of the area by plants such as Zizania latifolia and
Phragmites communis has been gradually changing the character of the habitat.
Kiritappu-shitsugen 43°05’N/145°05’E 2,504 1993
Principal features: Kiritappu Mire is primarily a sphagnum peatbog, formed on top of a row of ancient sand
dunes. Hichirippu Marsh and Mochirippu Marsh, connected to the sea by a narrow channel, are brackish water
lakes surrounded by a plateau. Sea water flows backward into the marshes at high tide. Hichirippu Marsh is less
than 3m at its deepest. Ocean water flows into the mouth of Biwase River which runs through the centre of the
site. The site is characterised by highly humid and cool summers. The average annual temperature is 5.5 o C, two
degrees lower than other regions at the same latitude. The Kiritappu Mire sphagnum bogs contain associations of
Moliniopsis japonica-Phragmites, Phragmites-Calamagrostis canadensis-Carex sp., and other wetland
vegetation communities.
Conservation issues: Land ownership is divided as follows: national government, 1,231ha; town-owned, 248ha;
private land, 610ha; and public lake, 415ha. The surrounding area consists of private and prefectural land.
Hichirippu and Mochirippu Marshes provide clam-fishing grounds. In the catchment and surrounding areas,
lands are used for forestry and fisheries. Monitoring research on water level change is carried out at the site. The
Kiritappu Mire centre is used for nature observation. Kiritappu Mire is crossed by a highway. This area has
recently attracted growing attention as a tourism attraction but increasing numbers of visitors could damage the
site. Kiritappu Mire captures water, maintaining and controlling its quality as it recharges underground water.
There is a threat that contaminated water might flow into the wetlands from the surrounding areas.
Kushiro-shitsugen 43°09’N/144°26’E 7,726 1980
Kutcharo-ko 45°09’N/142°20’E 1,607 1989
Principal features: The site is composed of two interconnected, coastal, freshwater lake basins (Ko-numa and
Oh-numa), lying between 1m and 2m above sea level. The lakes are bordered by hills (10–40m a.s.l.) to the
north and west, a major sand dune system to the east and fen/peatland to the south. There are nine inflow rivers
(six of which enter Ko-numa), but only a single outflow. Oh-numa is subject to sea-water inflow at high tide.
The lakes support scattered stands of Scirpus tabernaemontani and are surrounded by reed swamp (principally
Phragmites australis, with some Calamagrostis langsdorffii and Carex rhynchospora) with patches of mixed
swamp forest characterized by Alnus japonica and coniferous forest dominated by Picea glehnii. The principal
human activities within the site are nature conservation, fishing and recreation, while some of the surrounding
areas are used for pastoralism. The wetland provides valuable water-level control and water purification functions
and is an important supply of drinking water. The site is especially important for staging and wintering
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