The “Shikoku Bear Conservation Planning Workshop,” organized by IUCN CPSG (Conservation Planning Specialist Group), the Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J), the Shikoku Natural History Research Center NPO, and the Japan Bear Network, was held in Naka Town, Tokushima. Over 80 participants, including Prof. Hiroyuki Matsuda, the discussion focused on the conservation of the endangered local population of Shikoku’s Asiatic black bear and how to achieve coexistence with humans. An IUCN expert explained how to assess extinction risk using population viability analysis (PVA) and presented various scenarios based on current population size, natural growth rate, carrying capacity and human-induced mortality. Participants carefully discussed and narrowed down the underlying scenarios and conservation goals based on quantitative risk assessments conducted by environmental organisations. It is hoped that environmental impact assessments and wildlife management based on quantitative risk assessments will become more widespread in Japan in the future.
