A Socio-Ecological Approach to Restoring River Connectivity and Rewilding Salmon as Keystone Species in the Kushiro River Watershed, Eastern Hokkaido, Japan

2021 Fiscal Year Research-status Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K00699
• Research Institution: Sophia University
• Principal Investigator: 伊藤 毅 上智大学, 国際教養学部, 教授 (10646863)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 渡邉 剛弘 上智大学, 国際教養学部, 准教授 (50439337) ; 北島 義和 釧路公立大学, 経済学部, 准教授 (70782952)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: Ecology and Society / Salmon ecology / Environmental history

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

Due to the travel ban in effect throughout the year, we focused on building the literature on the environmental history of salmon and people in Hokkaido. While war-making facilitates state-making, it mobilizes environmental resources and damages the environment. With this proposition, our research conducted a literature review on how war mobilization of environmental resources during the Russo-Japanese war (1904-05) transformed the landscapes and waterscapes of Hokkaido with references to salmon. Canning technology transformed the prevailing concepts of time and space. First, it allowed the preservation of food, and it was particularly useful for food provision for soldiers. Many cases of canned foods including salmon were produced and shipped as a war ration to faraway battel fields. Second, canning technology extended the “best” consumption period of food. Canned foods withstood the long-distance transportation. Canning technology defied the physical and temporal limits imposed by nature. Another industry which had significant impacts on Hokkaido’s landscapes and waterscapes was the pulp and paper industry. With the establishment of the modern state in the late 19th century, the publication of newspapers and magazines, the printing of bank notes, postcards, and stamps as well as the printing of school textbooks as part of the government education system all increased demand for pulp and paper. We examine how the development of these industries in response to war mobilization has shaped and been shaped by the local environment and its changing properties of resources.

Current Status of Research Progress

3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.

Reason

The global pandemic situation and travel bans prevented fieldwork and delayed the progress. In the final year 2022-23, overall, we aim to complete the research and to write and submit one article to a leading journal. Our concrete plans include 1) carry out fieldwork in Hokkaido, 2) analyze findings, and 3) write one article. With the findings from literature and fieldwork, our research will detail the ways in which human activities to increase salmon stocks shapes the space and time of salmon ecology that connects not only forests and seas but also territories and territorial seas divided and controlled by various national and local governments.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

In the final year 2022-23, we plan to complete the fieldwork in Hokkaido. With the findings from literature and fieldwork, our research will detail the ways in which human activities to increase salmon stocks shapes the space and time of salmon’s life-making that connects not only forests and seas but also territories and territorial seas divided and controlled by various national and local governments.

Causes of Carryover

We could not use the fund as planned because of the disruption caused by the global pandemic. As the travel bans across the world have gradually started to ease, we prepare to carry out fieldwork while collecting other data and writing papers.