Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Calls for Candidates for Fiscal 2017 Award for Outstanding Activity against Wildlife Damage

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has been commending individuals and organizations working on measures to deal with damage caused by wild birds and animals to the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industry, which is becoming more serious nationwide. This year (FY 2017), a call for nominees for the award was announced, so we hope that individuals and organizations working on wildlife damage countermeasures will refer to it.

Application method and deadline

There are two ways to apply, each with a different deadline.

1. Recommendation by prefecture

Applicants, regardless of whether they are recommended by themselves or others, must fill in the necessary information on the application form and submit it to the prefectural wildlife damage countermeasures department by Monday, December 4, 2017. After that, it is submitted to the Rural Environment Division, Rural Policy Department, Rural Development Bureau, based on the recommendation of the prefecture. <<Click here to download the application form>>

2. Recommendation by Advisor for Crop Wildlife Damage Control

Agricultural product wildlife damage control advisors* recommend candidates for awards. In this case, the advisor will submit the above application form and recommendation record to the Rural Environment Division, Rural Policy Department, Rural Development Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries by Friday, December 8, 2017. <<For more information, please download and refer to the award guidelines here. >>

*In the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, a person who has specialized knowledge and experience in the prevention of crop damage caused by wild birds and animals and who can give advice, etc. when implementing damage prevention measures in the region is called a "wild wildlife damage control advisor" We have established an "Advisor System for Measures against Wildlife Damage to Agricultural Products" that is registered as an agricultural product and introduces it in response to requests from local communities.

Award details

In the case of individuals, those who are deemed to have made a remarkable contribution to the region (including administrative personnel) through accurate guidance and advice or continuous participation in the local wildlife damage control are eligible for the award. Organizations that are continuously working on bird and animal damage countermeasures that can serve as a model for others are eligible. The award ceremony for FY2017 is scheduled for around February 2018.

・Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award: Within 2 items: Damage prevention category (individuals/organizations) or captured wildlife utilization category (individuals/organizations)

・Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Rural Development Bureau Director's Award Within 6 points: Damage prevention category (individuals/organizations) or captured wildlife utilization category (individuals/organizations)

Examples of past awards

Below is an overview of past award winners, so please refer to it (click to download the overview).

<<2016 Prizewinner Summary PDF File>>

<<2015 Prize Winner Summary PDF File>>

<<2014 Prize Winner Summary PDF File>>

<< PDF file of 2013 Award Winners >>

<< PDF file of 2012 Award Winners >>

Judging criteria

A judging committee consisting of members with academic knowledge and experience in dealing with wildlife damage will be established, and will examine recommendations from prefectures and advisors in light of the following criteria and select candidates for awards.

Community-wide activities

・Activities such as damage prevention and the utilization of gibier are being carried out under the consensus building of local residents.

- A wildlife damage countermeasure implementation team was established, contributing to the enhancement of activities.

・A system has been established to integrally carry out capture activities and the processing, processing, and sale of wild game. etc

technical ingenuity

・Ingenuity (including technology development) for technologies such as damage prevention and utilization of captured birds and beasts according to the actual situation of the region is being carried out.

・Efforts are being made to improve trapping techniques, such as by utilizing ICT.

・When using captured birds and animals, efforts are being made to process, ensure safety, and improve quality. etc

Human resource development activities

・Activities are being carried out to train people responsible for damage prevention (local leaders, capture workers, etc.).

・Activities are being carried out to train people who will be responsible for the utilization of captured birds and animals (processing engineers, capturers who can capture animals suitable for gibier, etc.). etc

Wide area activity

- Wide-area and effective activities are being carried out in cooperation with neighboring municipalities.

・We are implementing initiatives that utilize human resources from other regions. etc

Awareness raising activities

・In order to disseminate techniques such as damage prevention and utilization of captured birds and animals, we are actively conducting awareness-raising activities through seminars and workshops (by conducting training, etc., accepting training, etc.), etc. .

continuous activity

・Activities such as damage prevention and utilization of captured birds and animals are being carried out continuously.

・The activities are devised for continuous implementation.

Activity results

・Activities such as damage prevention and utilization of captured birds and animals have led to reduction of damage costs and regional revitalization.

・As a result of the damage mitigation, ripple effects such as the elimination of abandoned farmland are occurring.

・The utilization of captured birds and beasts leads to increased motivation of those involved in capturing and utilization of local resources. etc

See the press release from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for details.