AIRA has been making a donation to the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology to support their activities to breed Short-Tailed Albatross (Aho-dori). AIRA sold “Aho-dori Manju” (aho-dori branded Japanese sweet bun) at the 25th Abiko International Festival on November 28, 2016 and the proceeds were donated to the Institute together with private contributions made by AIRA members.
Date: December 19, 2016 2:00p.m.-2:50p.m.
Venue: Yamashina Institute for Ornithology
Participants: Yamashina Institute for Ornithology: Messrs. Motohiro Mibu, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Masatoshi Hojo, Secretary General, and Takashi Hiraoka, Public Relations Officer. AIRA: Messrs. K. Murakoshi, Vice President, F. Kitajima, Vice President, T. Nakamura, Chief of Public Relations Dept. and M. Sakazume, secretary
AIRA favors the activities of the institute protecting the albatross and each year makes certain amount of donation to them. Ii is reported that thanks to their operations the 10 albatrosses discovered in one of Izu islands have now increased to almost 4,000 adult birds.
(Remark) The activities of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology
The Short-Tailed Albatross, one of endangered species, were found in a volcanic island, Torishima island of Izu-islands where the birds are always in danger of extinction by an eruption of the volcano. The Yamashina Institute made a project to breed the albatross called “Operation Decoy” aiming to establish a new breeding colony in Torishima in 2005 and further set up a project, “Reintroduction of the albatross to Mukojima island in Ogasawara islands” in 2008 in which chicks born in Torishima were transfered to and artificially reared in Mukojima island.
In May 2016 it was observed for the first time that a chick born from the albatross artificially reared in Mukojima successfully fledged. The reintroduction project takes an important step forward to a full success.
(No. 16-28 Translated by Y. Hesaki)
