Participating in the Japan Business and Biodiversity Partnership

Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. participates in the Japan Business and Biodiversity Partnership, which is made up of economic organizations, businesses, NGOs, and local governments, and engages in activities to protect biodiversity.

Whereas our Second Medium-Term Environmental Targets focused on investigation, education, and awareness activities, under the Third Medium-Term Environmental Targets that went in place in fiscal 2015, we set for each business at least one pre-emptive pilot project for ecosystem preservation, and we undertook specific biodiversity preservation activities accordingly. Under the Fourth Medium-Term Environmental Targets, we aim to conduct biodiversity preservation activities at business sites in other countries.

Activities to Conserve Biodiversity

Company, Business Site	Related Aichi Targets* Details of Preservation Wildlife Being Protected
Japan Radio Co., Ltd.	Target 6: Preservation of marine resources Activities: Gathering of basic data on the preservation of marine resources in Tokyo Bay collaborating with the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Wildlife being protected: Habitat survey of Whitespotted conger, conducted from a fisherman’s perspective
Nagano Japan Radio Co., Ltd. Head Office & Factory	Target 5: Preservation of natural habitats Activities: Afforestation and preservation of a forest near business sites, the “Forest of Nagano Japan Radio” (Matsushiro-cho, Nagano, 0.4ha) Wildlife being protected: Ecosystems or endemic species cultivated in Japanese larch forests (species to be protected not specified)
New Japan Radio Co., Ltd. Head Office and Kawagoe Works Japan Radio Glass Co., Ltd. Head Office Plant	Target 11: Preservation of important ecosystems Activities: Preservation of the Shingashigawa River waterfront environment near business sites (Fujimino, Saitama Prefecture) Wildlife being protected: Flora and fauna near the Shingashigawa River (species to be protected not specified)
Nisshinbo Brake Inc. Tatebayashi Plant	Target 12: Preservation of endangered species Activities: Preservation activities at the Nakanonuma Nishinuma swamp in Ora-machi, Ora-gun, Gunma Prefecture Wildlife being protected: Carassius auratus subsp.2 (Ministry of the Environment: Threatened category II), etc.
Nisshinbo Mechatronics Inc. Miai Machinery Plant	Target 11: Preservation of important ecosystems Activities: Habitat creation for dragonfly varieties at the on-premises Masuda Park Wildlife being protected: Dragonflies (anticipated arrival and breeding of the Asian Bluetail, the lessor emperor and other dragonflies)
Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. R&D Center Nisshinbo Chemical Inc. Toke Plant	Target 12: Preservation of endangered species Activities: Surveys, protection and propagation of valuable species living in the surrounding forest (Onodai, Midori-ku, Chiba) Wildlife being protected: Cephalanthera falcata (Thunb.) Blume (Ministry of the Environment: Threatened category II)
Nisshinbo Textile Inc. Fujieda Plant	Target 12: Preservation of endangered species Activities: Preservation of water quality at a pond on the plant site Wildlife being protected: Japanese rice fish (Ministry of the Environment: Threatened category II)
Nisshinbo Textile Inc. and two other companies Tokushima Plant	Target 12: Preservation of endangered species Activities: Propagation of fish fry donated by Tokushima Prefecture in fire protection water tanks and release into the river several years later Wildlife being protected: Golden venus chub (Tokushima Prefecture: Threatened category IA; Ministry of the Environment: Threatened category IB)

*Aichi Targets: Targets to be met by 2020, set at the 2010 meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity

Biotope Plan of Dragonfly

Nisshinbo Mechatronics Inc.’s Miai Machinery Plant conducts wildlife protection activities at the on-premise Masuda Park according to basic policies it has established under the Biotope Plan of Dragonfly. In fiscal 2018, the company conducted activities twice at a pond within the park. Participants were mostly volunteers, and the activities included the extermination of red swamp crayfish (an alien species), the suppression of thickly growing alien water lilies, and care of observation roads.

Participating in Activities to Protect Golden Venus Chub, an Endangered Species

The Tokushima Plant (combined plant of Nisshinbo Textile Inc. and two other companies) breeds golden venus chub, an endangered species. Initially, in January 2016, the plant received 200 golden venus chubs from Tokushima Prefecture and began breeding them in its fire protection water tank. However, the number of golden venus chubs had decreased to 159 by January 2019. Subsequently, the plant’s secretariat held many discussions with experts and, since April 2018, its six departments have embedded several dozen artificial waterweeds to create an environment that facilitates egg-laying. Moreover, it created a protected space for fish fry by controlling the water temperature, and replaced the waterweeds and waterweeds for fish fry in the fire protection water tank once a week during spawning (June–August). As a result of these activities, the number of golden venus chubs increased to 291 by the end of the fiscal year in December 2018. The plant aims to release the fish into rivers several years later and help them colonize in their original habitats. The Tokushima Plant’s breeding activities of golden venus chubs were featured in the December and January issues of Ecojin, an informational magazine distributed by the Ministry of the Environment.

Preservation of Biodiversity from the Perspective of Fishermen (Tokyo Bay)

Japan Radio Co., Ltd. cooperates in research on the preservation of biodiversity from the perspective of fishermen, specifically of Whitespotted conger, aimed at the sustainable use of Tokyo Bay.

The total amount of Whitespotted conger that exist in Tokyo Bay has continued to decline since peaking in 1995. In recent years, the amount has been estimated at around 200 to 300 tons. At the same time as investigating the current conditions of the catch of Whitespotted conger and the environment, the company has also verified the sequence of events that led to these conditions, through comparisons with past environment data, nautical chart data, and fish catch data of Tokyo Bay. The company monitors the movements of fishing boats, along with the monitoring of their operations, in order to understand how fishing grounds are used. Through these activities, the company cooperates in regeneration business activities aimed at promoting the sustainable use of Tokyo Bay.