Invitation for Public Comment on the Amendment to the Notification pertaining to the Enforcement Regulation for the Law Relating to Protection of the Environment in Antarctica

The Ministry of the Environment is in the process of preparing an amendment to the notification pertaining to the enforcement regulation for the Law Relating to Protection of the Environment in Antarctica. This amendment, related to the list of protected species, is being made in response to the "Measure 4 (2006)" adopted in the 29th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (http://www.ats.aq/29atcm/) held from June 12 to 23, 2006 in Edinburgh, the United Kingdom. The Measure 4 recommends the deletion of "all species of the genus Arctocephalus, Fur Seals" from the list of Specially Protected Species in Appendix A to Annex II on the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. The Ministry of the Environment invites public comments on this amendment until August 25.

The international obligation to protect the environment of the Antarctic is stipulated by the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (ratified in 1997). To ensure the fulfillment of the obligation, Japan enacted the Law Relating to the Protection of the Environment in Antarctica (Law No.61, 1997).

Annex II to the Protocol addresses the conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora and designates species that need to be accorded special protection as Specially Protected Species. In Japan, the practical details for implementing the Annex II are provided for in the notification pertaining to the Enforcement Regulation for the Law Relating to Protection of the Environment in Antarctica.

Access to the drafts:
The draft of the amendment (in Japanese) can be viewed at the Ministry of the Environment. Summary of the draft are posted on the web page of the Ministry of the Environment (https://www.env.go.jp/) (in Japanese).

Submission period:
July 27 - August 25, 2006

Submit to:
Global Environment Issues Division, Global Environmental Bureau, Ministry of the Environment
mail: antarctic@env.go.jp
No. 5 Godochosha, 1-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8975 Japan

For Japanese