ITOCHU Announces Support of Amazonian Ecosystem Conservation Program of Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University

April 21, 2016

ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Masahiro Okafuji, President & CEO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) announced today that ITOCHU would contribute a total of 15 million yen over three years from fiscal year 2016 and support the project of releasing manatees into the wild under the “Field Museum Concept.” This is an ecosystem conservation program in the Amazonian tropical forest that is promoted by the Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University jointly with the National Institute of Amazonian Research. Through this initiative, ITOCHU aims to achieve “environmental conservation,” one of the activities set forth in its Basic Activity Guidelines on Social Contribution.
As a result of large-scale overhunting in the past, the population of Amazonian manatees has declined significantly, and even now that they are protected by law, there is no end to manatees being captured, mainly because they are injured due to poaching for meat. In 2008, the National Institute of Amazonian Research launched the project for releasing manatees that had been captured back into the wild. However, it is difficult for manatees that have been captured and raised in captivity to adapt to the wild after being released. With the aim of ensuring the success of the project of releasing manatees back into the wild, the Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University has been engaged in activities with the National Institute of Amazonian Research since 2014. With the support of ITOCHU, the project will aim to release more than nine manatees back into the wild and more than twenty manatees into a semi-captive environment in three years’ time. By extending its support to the project, ITOCHU will contribute to environmental conservation in the Amazon, which is facing the risk of losing its rich biodiversity.

Details of ITOCHU’s support plan

- Supporting the project of releasing manatees into the wild under the “Field Museum Concept,” an ecosystem conservation program
- Developing lakes and a preserve established in a river designated for semi-captive manatees (including the health control of manatees)
- Introduction of wastewater treatment system for tanks
- Monitoring the manatees after release

Process of returning Amazonian manatees to the wild

Captive breeding:Breeding of manatees in tanks of the National Institute of Amazonian Research (approximately sixty manatees are being raised at present)  
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In one to two years’ time: Release into a semi-captive environment; Manatees will be released into lakes alongside the Amazon River to return to a semi-captive environment (targeting the release of six or seven manatees into semi-captive lakes every year).
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In two years time: Release into the wild; Manatees will be released into the Amazon River (targeting the releasing of three manatees every year).

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“Field Museum Concept”

In Manaus, a city located in the heart of the Amazon in Brazil, there is a natural environment that is particularly diverse and valuable, even for the Amazon. However, its ecosystem has been damaged as a result of the rapid expansion of the city. To address this problem, Kyoto University has been promoting the “Field Museum Concept” jointly with the National Institute of Amazonian Research. Research and promotional activities have been carried out by taking advantage of the geographical conditions of Manaus, where a wide variety of the valuable ecosystem is readily available, and regarding the regional nature and the lives of living creatures themselves as displays, unlike the existing style of displays that are found inside museum buildings. With the use of cutting-edge technologies in which Japan excels, through the research and conservation of endangered species and their habitat environment and the provision of environmental training to local residents, the “Field Museum Concept” aims to contribute to the sustainable development of the local community. This project is one of the projects of SATREPS which is a Japanese government program that promotes international joint research. The program is structured as a collaboration between the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), which provides competitive research funds for science and technology projects, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which provides development assistance (ODA). Based on the needs of developing countries, the program aims to address global issues and lead to research outcomes of practical benefit to both local and global society.

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Locations of the project for releasing manatees into the wild

(i) Location where wastewater treatment systems are expected to be introduced to tanks in which manatees are raised.
(ii) Location where manatees are released into a semi-captive environment and lakes for manatees are expected to be developed.
(iii) Location where manatees are released into the wild.