About us

Our organization

IPPM-OWS is organized by oriental white stork breeding facilities and institutions that work on reintroduction project. IPPM-OWS operates by decisions at the general meeting, with practical help supplied by executive office, ex situ conservation working group and in situ conservation working group. In addition, Ministries and Agencies concerned participate in our operation as observers.

General assembly General assembly is responsible for decision-making on matters related to the operation of IPPM-OWS as a whole.
Executive office Executive office is responsible for the operation of IPPM-OWS.
Ex situ conservation working group Ex situ conservation working group involves oriental white stork breeding facilities and is responsible for the development of captive population management plans.
In situ conservation working group In situ conservation working group involves institutions and facilities working on the reintroduction of the oriental white stork and the expansion of its breeding habitat.

History

December 2013 Established by 21 institutions and facilities, including Hyogo Park of the Oriental White Stork, Tama Zoological Park, and JAZA Biodiversity Committee
November 2015 The oriental white stork conservation forum “A decade of reintroduction, and a new flight—to the whole country and to the world—” was held in Tokyo. "The Tokyo Declaration 2015" was adopted.
April 2016 Supported by SUNTORY FUND FOR BIRD CONSERVATION under the theme of "Activities related to the conservation of in situ and ex situ populations of the oriental white stork." (Finished at March 2018)
November 2016 Exhibition in the Japan Bird Festival held at Abiko, Chiba. Received the "Common Moorhen Award" given to the second best exhibit among the 64 participating organizations.
December 2016 International symposium for the conservation of the oriental white stork, “Toward habitat expansion of the oriental white stork,” was held in Tokyo. Two researchers from South Korea, where oriental white storks have been reintroduced since 2015, were invited; they talked about the current status of reintroduction in South Korea.
March 2017 Received accreditation as the 10th project of the Japan Committee for United Nations Decade on Biodiversity (UNDB-J).
February 2018 The oriental white stork conservation seminar 2018 “Current status and future prospects of the oriental white stork reintroduction” was held in Osaka.
April 2018 Published "A Guide to the Reintroduction of Oriental White Storks into the Wild" with a grant from the SUNTORY FUND FOR BIRD CONSERVATION,
November 2018 The oriental white stork conservation seminar "The oriental white stork may come to your town?! Emerging issues and prospects of the oriental white stork conservation" was held in Tokyo.
February 2020 Established " Oriental White Stork Conservation Policy" funded by a grant from the Ministry of the Environment to promote biodiversity conservation.
April 2020 Supported by SUNTORY FUND FOR BIRD CONSERVATION under the title "The network formation project for the oriental white stork conservation in East Asia."
January 2022 Oriental White Stork Conservation Seminar "Current Status and Issues of Oriental White Storks in China, Japan and Korea" held online.

Our goals

Our purpose is to discuss the issues related to the conservation of the in situ and ex situ populations of the oriental white stork among the member organizations and to provide various solutions and support. To achieve this purpose, "The Tokyo Declaration 2015" was adopted in December 2015, and activities were carried out according to this declaration as our action goal for the coming 3 years (2016 through 2018).

Click here for the full text of "The Tokyo Declaration 2015."
(Sorry but Japanese only)

In February 2020, we formulated the "Oriental White Stork Conservation Policy" depending on a fund donated by Ministry of the Environment, to further promote the conservation effort of this species through collaboration with ministries concerned (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Ministry of the Environment; Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries), local governments, captive breeding facilities, and wildlife rescue centers.

Click here for the full text of the "Oriental White Stork Conservation Policy."
(Sorry but Japanese only)

Companies and organizations that support us

IPPM-OWS activities are supported by SUNTORY FUND FOR BIRD CONSERVATION, a department that subsidizes the activities of bird conservation groups, from 2016 to 2018, and 2020.

SUNTORY FUND FOR BIRD CONSERVATION

Our activities were accredited as a joint project of the Japan Committee for United Nation's Decade on Biodiversity (UNDB-J).

Japan Committee for United Nations Decade on Biodiversity