Examination to preserve the value of Nishinoshima [Click the image to enlarge]
Following discussions at the Ogasawara Islands World Natural Heritage Area Science Committee up to 2016 and the results of surveys conducted mainly by the University of Tokyo and Forest Research Institute, the Ministry of the Environment started "The Value of Nishinoshima" from 2017. The "Conservation Review Committee" has been organized, and experts in a wide range of fields, from biology to geology, will study the scientific value of Nishinoshima. Then, as a process of grasping the scientific value, the necessity of comprehensive academic research was discussed, and it was decided to organize a comprehensive academic research team and carry out field research.
Nishinoshima has no forests and no endemic species. The "value of nothing, the value of knowing the beginning", which is completely different from the examination of conservation areas so far, is difficult to compare with the current value standards, but the ecosystem of ocean islands. It is important to plan for reliable conservation so that the moment when the history of the island begins is not distorted by human hands, which is an unprecedented opportunity in the world. The results of the committee's review conducted five times until 2020 are summarized in the "Recommendations of the Review Committee on the Value and Conservation of Nishinoshima."
Currently, continuous investigation plans and evaluations are being carried out at the "Preparatory Meeting for Monitoring Nishinoshima". After clarifying the latest scientific value, we plan to work with government agencies and regional organizations related to the Ogasawara Islands to formulate concrete plans for protective collateral measures.