Press ReleasesNippon Paper Industries Commended at the 2020 Hokkaido Biodiversity Conservation Awards.- Collaboration with the Wild Bird Society of Japan to Conserve of a Blakiston's Fish Owl Habitat -

Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.

Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. (President: Toru Nozawa; hereinafter, "Nippon Paper Industries" or "the Company") has won the Mirai e Tsunagu! Kitaguni no Ikimono Mamoritai Sho prize at the 2020 Hokkaido Biodiversity Conservation Awards organized by the Hokkaido government.

The awards are given to corporations or organizations that undertake excellent and exemplary activities that preserve the biodiversity of Hokkaido. The Hokkaido office values the collaboration between the Company and the Wild Bird Society of Japan (Chairman: Keisuke Ueda) to conserve a Blakiston's fish owl habitat under a bilateral compact. Blakiston's fish owls are an endangered species.

The Nippon Paper Group's Environmental Charter states that corporate activities should consider biodiversity. The group established a Basic Policy on the Preservation of Biodiversity and perform related activities through its main business and utilizes the resources it possesses in these efforts.

In 2010, Nippon Paper Industries entered into a compact with the Wild Bird Society of Japan, which has expertise regarding wild birds. Since then, the Company has balanced its business with the preservation of a Blakiston's fish owl habitat. Nippon Paper Industries together with the Wild Bird Society of Japan surveyed the company-owned forests described in the compact to confirm the biodiversity of the forests. In November 2020, the breeding environment for Blakiston's fish owls was arranged by putting up nest boxes.

The Company will continue to work with the Wild Bird Society of Japan to preserve the biodiversity of company-owned forests through the conservation of the Blakiston's fish owl.

The website of the Hokkaido government

http://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/ks/skn/hyousyou/main.htm


About Blakiston's fish owl

The website of Wild Bird Society of Japan: https://www.wbsj.org/activity/conservation/endangered-species/kb_hogo/

Until the beginning of the 20th century, Blakiston's fish owl was found all over Hokkaido. Today, however, it is a Critically Endangered species that has the highest possibility of becoming extinct.

The related press releases:

Compact with the Wild Bird Society of Japan on the Protection of Wild Birds (October 14, 2010)

https://www.nipponpapergroup.com/news/year/2010/news101014000523.html

(Japanese only) 

Memorandum Concluded with Wild Bird Society of Japan on Conserving a Habitat for Blakiston's Fish Owl (May 13, 2015)

https://www.nipponpapergroup.com/english/news/year/2015/news150513003080.html