Introduction to the Network Sites Miyajimanuma Hokkaido, Japan [ in Japanese ] [ Back ]

Lake Miyajimanuma is located in Bibai City in the central part of Hokkaido Island, Japan (43°20'N, 141°43'E). The Lake is a permanent freshwater lake of 30ha in the middle basin of a river Ishikari-gawa.

The Lake is a northernmost site of White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons with largest number in the country. Every spring and autumn, up to 40,000 White-fronted Geese stay the lake. A number of swans and ducks also stay the lake, in total about 60,000 individuals.

National Wildlife Protected Area was settled over 41 ha around the lake in October 2002, and the same area was designated as the 13th Ramsar Site in the country (Ramsar Site No. 1201; c.f. What's New @ Ramsar, 21 October 2002). The Certificate was presented to the Mayor of the City from the Secretary General of the Convention Secretariat at the Ramsar CoP8, November 2002, in Valencia, Spain.

The City Governemnt developed the "Plan of Conservation and Wise Use of Miyajimanuma" through a series of discussion fora with citizen and published in March 2002 (Hayashi 2002). A citizen's group named "Miyajimanuma-no Kai" (meaning Miyajimanuma Society) was established in March 2003 for various on-site conservation efforts towards wise use of the lake, including monitoring waterbirds, water quality and other environmental indicators, clean-up campaign, etc (contact for the Society: Division of Environment, Bibai City).

Activities in the Site:

• Report of development of Plan of Conservation and Wise Use of Miyajimanuma, in Anet Newsletter No.3, November 2002.

Further information of the Site can be found on the internet at:

• Bibai City Government: Lake Miyajimanuma Homepage English version.

• Annotated Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance in Japan, Ramsar Bureau.

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The "Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Anatidae in the East Asian Flyway" is a component of the "Asia-Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy", and the "Anatidae Site Network in the East Asian Flyway" is a programme of international co-operation to enhance the conservation of the wetlands of international importance for Anatidae (ducks, geese and swans) in the flyway under the "Action Plan". The "Anatidae Working Group" of Asia-Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Committee oversees the implementation of these programmes with technical support from Anatidae Flyway Officer. For further information, please contact the Anatidae Flyway Officer. Posted 14 May 1999, updated 5 July 2004.