Protecting Shiretoko
MDN: UNESCO adds Japan's Shiretoko to World Heritage List
A panel of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) decided on Thursday to add the Shiretoko area of Hokkaido, Japan, to the World Natural Heritage list...The area covers the Shiretoko Peninsula and surrounding sea areas up to 3 kilometers off the peninsula. In giving a reason for adding the Shiretoko area to the heritage list, panel members said many rare species lived in the area. About 90 percent of the land within the Shiretoto area is covered with primeval forests, and it is home to a significant number of brown bears. A total of 246 kinds of birds, including rare species, have been found in the area.
