IUCN Red List sheds light on endangered species in Japan

Japan is well-known overseas for its modern technology and bustling metropolises. Many people are drawn to the country for its products and popular culture, and a large portion of tourists visit major cities such as Tokyo. However, nature is a significant part of life in Japan. The country has a large amount of biodiversity and wildlife, especially as its terrain runs from south to north. Ecosystems in the country are varied and include everything from mountains, forests and wetlands.

What is IUCN’s Red List?

Nature and species preservation is an important issue worldwide, especially in a country with rich biodiversity. One of the most useful tools for tracking the status of species is the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

The IUCN list was established in 1964, and its data is used to help shape nature-related policy in various countries and organizations. For example, the IUCN consults with the Convention on Biological Diversity, and Red List data is used as an indicator for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

How does the list work?

Species in the Red List are ranked in different categories according to the level of threat they face. These categories run from “data deficient” for species with insufficient data available, to “vulnerable,” to “extinct.”

A recent Japanese example from the Red List is matsutake mushrooms. The 2020 Red List ranked the mushrooms as near threatened in part due to decline of their natural habitats. The list comes out every year and updates with new species statuses. It also reevaluates the statuses of species previously on the list. Okinawan coconut crabs were added to the 2020 Red List, for example. Other Japanese species on the Red List include Japanese cranes, sea eagles and dugongs.

Is Japan doing anything about it?

Japan’s Ministry of the Environment (MoE) has created its own Red List, and local prefectures and municipalities such as Chiba have their own list as well. Similar to the IUCN’s Red List, the MoE ranked matsutake mushrooms as vulnerable.

The MoE’s Red List is sometimes used to shape policies and enact restrictions regarding vulnerable and endangered species in Japan. In fact, the Ministry sought stricter regulations on international sales of endangered reptiles and amphibians in 2020. These included geckos and crocodiles from Okinawa and Kyushu, which were on the Ministry’s Red List. The MoE requested these species be added to the Washington Convention, an international treaty regulating the trade of endangered species.

The preservation of vulnerable and near-endangered species is an important issue that cannot be addressed without proper data and research. The IUCN Red List itself, of course, does not dictate policy. However, Red Lists from both the IUCN and Japanese government institutions provide a much-needed guide map that helps influence crucial decisions regarding things such as the preservation of species and necessary trade restrictions.

With climate change and other environmental issues impacting the habitats of various species in Japan and throughout the world, such data is more important than ever for preserving both vulnerable species and our way of life.