© Yutaka Sabano
December 18, 2025, by Yutaka Sabano
On November 26, 2025, the symposium “Snow Goose Restored in Japan and the Present Status of Wrangel Island, the Native Place of Japanese Snow Geese” was held at the Abiko City Museum of Birds. The symposium was organized by the Japanese Association for Wild Geese Protection and the Head Office of the “Foster A Goose Program”, co-organized by the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology and Abiko City Museum of Birds.
Vasilii V. Baraniuk (Working group on Anseriformes of Northern Eurasia) participated in the symposium from Russia, who has been conducting research on snow geese on Wrangel Island for 45 years. He played a key role as a Russian participant in the “Restoration Project of Snow Geese to East Asia” implemented in 1993.
This symposium aimed for Japanese and Russian researchers involved in the restoration project to reflect on the project, compare the current status of Snow Geese in Japan and on Wrangel Island, and clarify the present state of Snow Geese in East Asia. The symposium program was as follows:
Opening Remarks — Yutaka Sabano (JAWGP; Leader, Snow Goose Restoration Project)
Snow Geese in the Edo Period — Masayuki Kurechi (President, JAWGP)
Snow Goose Restoration Project to East Asia — Yutaka Sabano (JAWGP)
Memories of Wrangel Island — Yoshihide Shibata (Science Journalist)
Exploring the Breeding Grounds of Geese Wintering in Japan — Banding & Tracking Surveys — Yusuke Sawa (Yamashina Institute for Ornithology)
Wrangel Island’s Nature and Snow Geese — Vasilii V. Baraniuk (Working Group on Anseriformes of Northern Eurasia)
© Yutaka Sabano
Discussion
Closing Remarks — Masayuki Kurechi (JAWGP)
Baraniuk ‘s presentation indicated that ecological changes and global warming on Wrangel Island have acted in ways that promote the breeding of snow geese, leading to an increase in their population. In addition, with global warming, the migration route between Wrangel Island and the United States has expanded into the Arctic Circle. This has made it easier for populations from central and eastern North America to reach Wrangel Island, resulting in the inflow of populations different from those on the west coast. This has also contributed to the increase in snow goose populations on Wrangel Island.
Since the Snow Goose Restoration Project which began in 1993, snow geese have been regularly arriving in Japan. Their number has gradually increased, with a significant increase after 2019. The period of this significant increase coincides with the period of the increase on Wrangel Island mentioned above. Furthermore, recent records of blue geese indicate possible influx of a distinct population originating from central and eastern North America.
Given these circumstances, it is inferred that the Snow geese on Wrangel Island and those migrating to Japan are closely related. As a future issue, it is hoped that the migration route of snow geese that migrate to Japan will be clarified.
At the beginning of his lecture, Mr. Kurechi, President of the symposium, mourned Dr. N. Gerasimov (Russian Academy of Sciences, Kamchatka Pacific Institute of Geography), who passed away on November 16, and introduced his achievements in joint research with Japan on the breeding grounds and migration routes of Bean Goose and the Recovery Project for the Aleutian Cackling Goose.
Symposium “Snow Goose Restored in Japan and the Present Status of Wrangel Island, the Native Place of Japanese Snow Geese”
