Adaptive Management of Sika Deer Populations on Hokkaido Island, Japan

We review the management policyManagement policy and practice for sika deer (Cervus nippon) on Hokkaido IslandHokkaido Island, the northernmost in Japan. We introduce the population management and damage management between 1993 and 2018 in the three districts, the East, the West, and the South of the island based on the Conservation and Management PlanThe Conservation and Management Plan for Sika Deer. The population estimates peaked at 2011 in the East and the West, and then they have decreased because of population control by the prefectural government. The estimated population sizePopulation size in 2018 was 330,000 (95% credible interval: 250,000–470,000) in the East, and it was 380,000 (250,000–620,000) in the West. The overabundanceOverabundance of sika deer populations severely influenced the local ecosystems, especially the forest vegetation. We describe the two case studies of ecosystem management, one in the Akan-Mashu National ParkAkan-Mashu National Park and the other in Shiretoko National ParkShiretoko National Park. We discuss the importance of hunting system for resource managementResource management and that of culling system for ecosystem managementEcosystem management.