Japan Wildlife Conservation Society
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About the Japan Wildlife Conservation Society ( JWCS )
JWCS is a non-governmental non-profit organization that was established by scientists, conservationists and lawyers to study the philosophy needed for real conservation of wildlife and to recommend practical theory and solutions for specific issues both domestically and internationally.
In pursuit of this objective, JWCS is conducting studies, investigation, lobbying and campaigning for public awareness.
Japan Wildlife Conservation Society
Suchiro Bldg 7F
2-5-4 Toranomon
Minato-ku
Tokyo Japan 105-0001
Tel/fax: +81 3 3595 1171
JWCS' specific objectives and recent related activities (1994 - 2000):
1) Accurate Information dissemination concerning the real situation in Japan.
The foreign government authorities as well as researchers and NGOs overseas for a long time had no choice but to rely upon the one-sided information from the Japanese Government about the Japanese domestic situation. JWCS was anxious about this and started disseminating knowledge to foreign nations about the real state of wildlife conservation in Japan, including the actual working condition of the domestic management system and enforcement status of the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora .
Activities
€ Participation in the following international conferences:
|
Event |
Date |
|
CITES COP 9 |
November 1999 |
|
CITES COP10 |
June 1997 |
|
CITES COP11 |
April 2000 |
|
ACA ( Asian Conservation Alliance) General Meeting. |
Nov.1995 , Feb.1997, March 1998. |
€ Distribution of reports
"Effect of Resumption of International Trade on the Japanese Ivory Market."
"Hawksbill Trade Revived? Analysis of the Management System of Domestic Bekko Trade in Japan."
"Conservation of and Trade in Bears in Japan."
"The reality of Japan's Implementation and Enforcement for CITES. COP 11 June 1997"
"Analysis of the amended management system of domestic trade in Japan at Standing Committee, February 1999."
"Trade in tiger parts and medicine in Japan June 1999 to Tiger Mission of CITES Secretary and CITES Parties."
(2) Awareness Campaign in Japan
JWCS is promoting the necessity of wildlife conservation and the necessary actions to be taken throughout the Japanese nation.
Activities
€ Participation in international symposia.
"Coexistence of wildlife and human beings, from Asia - in commemoration of the 20th year since the enforcement of CITES." November 1995
"Tigers are extinct? The link of Wildlife and Chinese medicine." February 1999 "Russian present situation and conservation activities for Amur Tigers" November 1999
€ Panel Exhibition
The tiger is indeed beautiful out in the wild. The panel exhibition promoted the beauty of wild tigers and their endangered situation was held at a gallery in Tokyo and at several zoos in West and East Japan in November 1998.
€ Distribution of pamphlets
Consumption of ivory products and endangered elephants (in Japanese) was distributed on Earth Day, and at Photo Exhibitions. They were also distributed to consumer associations and local governments in Japan, and used as a sub-curricular education material at universities.
(3) Advice to the Japanese Government
Activities
€ There was no regulation in Japan to control domestic trade in virility vigor tonics and liquors containing tiger parts and penises. JWCS continued to request the revision of the domestic law for many years and succeeded in revising part of the domestic law so that since April 2000 every product including Chinese medicines containing tiger bones and penises needs to be registered. The trade in such products without registration is now banned. JWCS is strengthening the monitoring of illegal products in the domestic market.
€ Advice on the Japanese Protection Management System.
JWCS lobbied the Indonesian Embassy and the Japanese government about the case of orangutans smuggling in 1999. We also had a symposium in cooperation with the Indonesian Embassy in January 2000 .
Sending a statement regarding the case of illegal wildlife trade like that of the orangutans to related organizations.
(4) Investigation of trade.
JWCS is investigating illegal wildlife products in the domestic market and the smuggling routes of wildlife products from overseas.
|
Activities |
Date |
|
Ivory products |
since 1994 |
|
Ivory Hankos (seals) shop |
since 1994 |
|
Chinese medicine |
since 1994 |
|
Shahtoosh shawls |
since 1997 |
|
Private tiger farm |
since 1999 |
|
Investigation in Philippines |
1998 |
|
Investigation in India |
1999 |
(5) JWCS Conducts Studies on:
€ Enforcement status of CITES in Japan
€ The concept of sustainable use in Japan
€ The Japanese point of view of wildlife and nature conservation
€ The domestic legal system regarding wildlife conservation
€ Environmental education in Japan.
JWCS strongly opposed the trade in ivory, marine turtles
and whales at the last CITES meeting.
The 11th meeting of Conference of the Parties of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was held in Gigiri, Kenya between 9th and 20th in April, 2000.
The most highlighted agendas were the proposals regarding ivory trade of African elephants of 4 Southern African countries, shell trade in Hawksbill turtle of Cuba and trade in Minke whales and Grey whales. Their main consuming markets are all in Japan.
JWCS, as the only observer from Japan-based wildlife conservation organizations at this meeting, expressed strong opposition to these proposals, and distributed technical reports regarding the ivory and hawksbill shell trade including the analyses of demand, marketing and management systems of their trade in Japan. Also, JWCS appealed for the strengthening of international monitoring of illegal trade in bear parts and recommend the Government of Japan to amend the regulation of hunting of and domestic trade in bears. The report regarding the implementation and enforcement of CITES in Japan was distributed at the meeting as well.
Friends Of The Earth Japan , WWF Japan and GreenPeace Japan had no presence at this year's Earth Day festival in Tokyo Saturday April 22 2000 .... JWCS volunteers were there.