A program titled "NHK Special 'Brown Bears: Living in a Sea of Change (tentative title)'," set in the Shiretoko Peninsula of Hokkaido, a World Natural Heritage site where ecosystem changes are progressing on an unprecedented scale, will be broadcast on NHK General on May 31st at 9 p.m.
The underlying cause of these ecosystem changes is the particularly rapid warming of the Sea of Okhotsk. Drift ice has been a vital resource for transporting nutrients to the ocean and supporting diverse life forms, from plankton and fish to seabirds and brown bears. However, the area of drift ice has decreased by approximately 30% in the past 40 years, and it has been suggested that it may disappear from the coast of Hokkaido in the future.
This change is having a cascading effect not only on marine ecosystems but also on terrestrial ones, with the brown bear population being a prime example. Due to changes in food resources, they are exhibiting behaviors never seen before, such as climbing cliffs to attack seabirds. Furthermore, the drastic decline in pink salmon and the increase in Hokkaido deer have disrupted the balance of the ecosystem, leading to an increase in brown bears appearing in populated areas and subsequent culling. Shiretoko, which thrives on a "great cycle of life" where the sea, rivers, and forests are integrated, now has its foundation shaken and has become a place of intense scrutiny at the forefront of global environmental change.
The program utilizes high-definition video, drone footage, and underwater photography to document the decline of drift ice and the resulting changes in diverse marine life. It depicts the unusual events occurring in this "paradise of life," centering on the brown bears that live in Shiretoko.
NHK Sapporo and Kitami broadcasting stations will hold a photo exhibition in conjunction with the program's broadcast, showcasing the unusual events currently occurring in Shiretoko through footage shot during filming. The exhibition will run from May 23rd to June 7th at both stations. Admission is free.
