Southern Kuril Research Articles

The Current Status of the Sakhalin–Hokkaido Herring (Clupea pallasii) Stocks off the Coasts of Sakhalin Island and the Southern Kuril Islands

The Current Status of the Sakhalin–Hokkaido Herring (Clupea pallasii) Stocks off the Coasts of Sakhalin Island and the Southern Kuril Islands

Polymorphism of mtDNA gene Cyt b of walleye pollock, Gadus chalcogrammus (Gadidae), in the Chukchi Sea, western Bering Sea, and Sea of Okhotsk

The results of the analysis of the Cytb gene polymorphism of mitochondrial DNA in samples of walleye pollock Gadus chalcogrammus from the Chukchi Sea are presented for the first time. The data obtained are compared with those from the western Bering Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific waters off the northern and southern Kuril Islands. According to the analysis of the samples pooled by seas, the populations of the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea do not differ from each other and differ statistically significantly (p < 0.05) from the pooled sample of the Sea of Okhotsk. This may be due to the exchange of its genetic material, which occurs because of the mixing from different spawning grounds at the early developmental stages as a result of transfer by currents (1) and active migrations of adults (2).

A taxonomic reassessment of native and invasive species ofCorbiculaclams (Bivalvia: Cyrenidae) from the Russian Far East and Korea

AbstractCurrently, the validity of many nominal bivalve species of the genus Corbicula endemic to the Russian Far East and South Korea needs a critical reassessment. In this study, we clarify the taxonomic status of Corbicula species of this area based on a combination of molecular genetic, conchological and anatomical data. According to our results, four Corbicula lineages, corresponding to the nominal species Corbicula japonica, Corbicula elatior, Corbicula leana and Corbicula fluminea, can be delineated in samples collected in the Primorye and Khabarovsk regions of Russia and South Korea. Two species endemic to the Russian Far East (i.e. Corbicula finitima and Corbicula lindholmi) are considered here as junior synonyms of the species C. japonica, which is widely distributed in estuarine habitats around the Japanese Archipelago, Sakhalin Island, southern Kurile Islands, Primorye and Khabarovsk regions, Korean Peninsula and China. Three nominal species described from the Lower Amur basin (Corbicula amurensis, Corbicula nevelskoyi and Corbicula sirotskii) appeared to be synonyms of C. elatior, whose range covers the Korean Peninsula, Primorye and Khabarovsk regions and, perhaps, China. We delineated several colour morphs of C. fluminea and C. japonica. The distinctness between these colour morphs can be attributed to both heritable and environmental factors.

A new fish of the genus Krusensterniella (Zoarcoidei: Zoarcidae) from the Kuril Islands

A new species of prickled eelpouts of the genus Krusensterniella Schmidt, 1904 (subfamily Gymnelinae Gill, 1863) from the waters of the Kuril Islands (Western North Pacific) is described. Moppet eelpout K. infans sp. nov. differs from other species by a combination of characters. Vertebrae are numerous (124 versus 100–122), as well as all spiny rays of the dorsal fin (77 vs. 40–74); number of preoperculomandibular pores is reduced (6 vs. 7 in most species); pungent spines of the dorsal fin (X in number) are located posteriorly (D-fin formula 67 X 44). The holotype, a juvenile with a length of TL 83 mm, is found in the southern group of the Kuril Islands (Urup Strait) at a depth of 240 m. The ancestral form of the prickled eelpouts probably lived in the boreal Pacific waters near the Japanese Islands, where the generalized K. squamosa Chernova, 2022 is found. Other species with similar characters, K. maculata Andriashev, 1938, K. kurilensis Chernova, 2022, and K. pseudomaculata Chernova, 2022, with relatively low number of vertebrae and pungent spines, may have derived in nearby waters, the Sea of Japan and the southern Kuril Islands. Dispersion to the north (into the Sea of Okhotsk) led to the speciation of two pairs of prickled eelpouts. One pair is K. notabilis Schmidt, 1904 and K. infans with low number of pungent spines but numerous vertebrae (113–124); the other pair is K. multispinosa Soldatov, 1922 and K. pavlovskii Andriashev, 1955 with a relatively low number of vertebrae but multiple pungent spines (XV–XXV). This may mean that northward dispersion events could have occurred at least twice.

Spatial Extent of Mid‐To Late‐Holocene Sedimentary Record of Tsunamis Along the Southern Kuril Trench, Hokkaido, Japan

AbstractWith their complex cycles and rupture modes, infrequent megathrust earthquakes require a high‐resolution spatiotemporal record of tsunami inundations over thousands of years to provide more accurate long‐term forecasts. The geological record suggests that Mw &gt; 8 earthquakes in the Kuril Trench occurred at intervals of several hundred years. However, uncertainties remain regarding the rupture zone, owing to the limited survey areas and chronological data. Therefore, we investigated the tsunami deposits in a coastal wetland of southeastern Hokkaido, Japan, to characterize the tsunamis that originated from the Kuril Trench over the last 4,000 years. On the Erimo coast, more than seven sand layers exhibited common features of tsunami deposits, such as sheet distributions of several hundred meters, normal grading structures, and sharp basal contacts. According to numerical tsunami simulations, the 17th‐century sand layer could be reproduced using a multiple rupture zone model (Mw ∼ 8.8). We used high‐resolution radiocarbon dating and tephras to correlate the tsunami deposits from the last 4,000 years with those reported from regions ∼100 km away. The tsunami history revealed here shows good agreement with the histories of adjacent regions. However, the paleotsunamis reported to have occurred in regions &gt;200 km away include events that differ from those in this study, suggesting a diversity of Mw &gt; 8 earthquakes in the Kuril Trench. We clarified the history and extents of earthquake‐generated tsunamis along the southwestern end of the Kuril Trench, which were previously unknown. Our results provide a framework for magnitude estimations and long‐term forecasts of earthquakes.

The Taxonomically Richest Liverwort Hemiboreal Flora in Eurasia Is in the South Kurils

The long coexistence of various floral elements, landscape diversity, and island isolation led to the formation of the richest Eurasian hemiboreal liverwort flora in the southern Kurils. This land that covers less than 5000 square kilometres and houses 242 species and two varieties of liverworts and hornworts. The flora ‘core’ is represented by hemiboreal East Asian and boreal circumpolar taxa. Other elements that have noticeable input in the flora formation are cool-temperate East Asian hypoarctomontane circumpolar and arctomontane. The distribution of some species is restricted to the thermal pools near active or dormant volcanoes or volcanic ash deposits; such species generally provide specificity to the flora. Despite the territorial proximity, the climate of each considered island is characterized by features that, in the vast majority of cases, distinguish it from the climate of the neighbouring island. The last circumstance may inspire the difference in the liverwort taxonomic composition of each of the islands. The comparison of the taxonomic composition of district floras in the Amphi-Pacific hemiarctic, boreal, and cool-temperate Asia revealed four main focal centres: East Kamchatka Peninsula and Sakhalin Island, the southern Sikhote-Alin and the East Manchurian Mountains, the mountains of the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, and the South Kurils plus northern Hokkaido. The remaining floras involved in the comparison occupy an intermediate position between these four centres.

Features of biology and prospects of modern fishery for pacific herring &lt;i&gt;Clupea pallasii&lt;/i&gt; on the shelf of southern Kuril Islands

Biological characteristics and dynamics of stocks and fishery are considered for pacific herring in the South-Kuril fishing district on the data of research surveys and fishery statistics for 2014–2021. Features of the herring wintering and the rates of linear growth and maturation are analyzed. The stock recovery on the shelf of southern Kuril Islands is detected that corresponds to recovery of the whole Sakhalin-Hokkaido population of this species. A sharp increase of the herring abundance in this area is observed nowadays for the first time since the 1940s. According to results of cohort modeling, the commercial biomass of herring in the South-Kuril district has increased from several tens of ton in 2014–2017 to 9,700 t in 2021. The basis of the stock consists of fish aged 3–4 years, 25–29 cm long, that prevailed (76–82 %) in the catches in 2020–2021. The stock increasing is accompanied by expansion of the herring distribution, the aggregations density increasing in spring, complication of the size and age structure, heightening of the average size and age in catches of fixed nets in the spawning season, mass appearance of the juveniles in catches of bottom trawl survey in 2020, and progressive growth of the landing in 2018–2021. The usual place for the herring wintering in this area is the eastern side of the deep-water canyon off the western coast of Kunashir Island. According to updated data, the spawning migrations of herring begin in early-middle April. The producers migrate mainly from the wintering sites to the southern Kunashir Strait, and then along the Pacific side of Kunashir Island to their spawning grounds. The migration along the Okhotsk Sea coast is secondary. The spawning occurs at Kunashir Island in the period from late April to middle May (the timing varies from year to year; the peak of spawning was observed in early May in 2020, but in middle May in 2021). Unlike other populations, the herring of the South-Kuril area do not make extended migrations after the spawning, but feed on adjacent shelf for a long time. Fishery on herring develops rapidly in the South-Kuril fishing district: the annual catch was 140 t in 2018, but reached 1010 t in 2021. Trawl fishery of pacific herring has the highest prospects for coming years. The fishing by Danish seines can be intensified in the waters between Kunashir and Shikotan in the pre-spawning period, though the landing by fixed nets on the spawning grounds can be stabilized if the number of coastal fishing teams will be increased.

Ad hoc international arbitration is the key to improving Russian-Japanese relations

The subject. The article discusses the international legal positions of Russia and Japan that prevent the conclusion of a peace treaty between them and impede a radical improvement in relations, which is perceived as an urgent need for both sides.The purpose of the article is to show the fundamental differences in the official positions of the governments of Russia and Japan and suggest a fundamentally new diplomatic and legal solution to the long-standing territorial dispute among the states, which will result in finally breaking the deadlock.Methodology. The research is based on the methods such as historical research, formal logic, including analysis, synthesis, and modeling, as well as systematic, comparative and interpretation. Materials include national and international laws and scholarly articles, books relating to Russian-Japanese relations, as well as its international legal aspects.The main results, scope of application. The authors note that the end of the Cold War transformed Europe. Since that time there have been a reformatting of military alliances, the unification of Germany, reconciliation of the nations warring since ancient times. All these are based on the recognition of the inviolability of the outcome of the Second World War and established territorial structure. In comparison with Europe, it had smaller consequences in Asia. All previous dividing lines and lines of conflicts are preserved. Nothing was done to reunite the divided nations. Reconciliation by and large also did not happen. One of the burning problems has remained the territorial claims of Japan to Russia on the four islands of the Southern Kuril and the unresolved long-standing dispute over affiliation of the islands. The international legal position of Russia is that the legal status of the islands was determined by the results of the Second World War. Japan proceeds from the premise that the Islands historically belonged to it and the actual sovereignty of Russia over them does not change the case. Since the international legal positions of the sides do not have any common ground, it is pointless to argue about them or try to change them.Conclusions. In this situation the only possible wise and fair solution is to bring the dispute beyond the framework of bilateral relations for quite a long time, which will need to be used for their radical improvement. In the article the authors explain in detail how it can be done. In particular, it is proposed to establish a special Russian-Japanese international court ad hoc. The study explains and justifies its possible mandate, the procedure of formation and the role of the agreement establishing such a Court in the conclusion of a peace treaty between the sides. It is shown how and under what circumstances the activities of the Court can be successful and bring the desired results.

Ecological, Geographic, and Genetic Differentiation and Management Units of Chum Salmon Oncorhynchus keta of the Southern Kuril Islands

Ecological, Geographic, and Genetic Differentiation and Management Units of Chum Salmon Oncorhynchus keta of the Southern Kuril Islands

Application of the LURR Method for Studying Seismicity in the Southern Kuril Islands

Application of the LURR Method for Studying Seismicity in the Southern Kuril Islands

Динамика вылова и современное биологическое состояние сардины иваси Sardinops sagax

Nowadays, after a long period of depression, Japanese sardine (Sardinops sagax) is on the rise. At a high stock level, this species expands its range, migrating to high-productivity Northwest Pacific Ocean areas, where it becomes available to Russian fishery. The article analyzes the long-term catches, as well as provides fishery catches data for 2021. The article also describes distribution and biological status of Japanese sardine during a scientific survey, carried out in the Pacific Ocean waters of the Southern Kuril Islands in October 2019. The article analyzes Japanese sardine nutrition in the feeding grounds.

Modern state for stocks of Sakhalin-Hokkaido herring Clupea pallasii at the coast of Sakhalin Island and southern Kuril Islands

Data of bottom trawl surveys at southwestern Sakhalin and surveys of the herring spawning grounds at southern Sakhalin and Kuril Islands are summarized, with assessment of the spawning grounds size and the eggs density in clutches. Fishery statistics and media reports are overviewed, as well. The stock of the Sakhalin-Hokkaido population increases since 2015, both off southwestern and southeastern coasts of Sakhalin, in the Aniva Bay, and at southern Kuril Islands. Number of the spawning herring increases everywhere within the Russian waters, as well as the size of spawning grounds and the density of eggs laying. In particular, the biomass of spawning herring was estimated in 2020 as 35.5 . 103 t at southwestern Sakhalin and 62.5 . 103 t at southeastern Sakhalin; it was 21.6 . 103 t in the Aniva Bay in 2021; the total catch of herring in the waters at Sakhalin Island and southern Kuril Islands reached 8.3 . 103 t in 2021. The stock of Sakhalin-Hokkaido herring is restoring after long depression, so this species is capable to return to the list of the major objects for fishery in the Sakhalin- Kuril region of Russia.

Environmental changes since 14 ka BP in the southernmost Kuril islands (North-Western Pacific) and regional correlation of events

• New data on climatic changes at the late Pleistocene-Holocene boundary for Kurils. • Climate fluctuations and volcanic ash-falls were mail drivers in lake-mire evolution. • The lake level was highest during warmer and humid climate of the Allerød. • Younger Dryas cooling in the Kuril Islands was less distinct than on the continent. • Pollen record vegetation changes on the land bridge at Late Glacial–early Holocene. Despite considerable progress in understanding Late Pleistocene and Holocene palaeoenvironmental changes worldwide, there are still very few such data for the Far East, and Kuril islands, in particular. Here, the sea level rise during the Late Glacial–Holocene transition was accompanied by a loss of the land connectivity culminating into the development of isolated islands. The ecosystems evolution and importance of isolation for vegetation dynamics on islands are still insufficiently understood. We investigated a unique natural record of environmental change since 14 ka has been recently discovered in lake–mire complex on Kunashir Island. The sediments include 12 tephra layers from Kunashir and Hokkaido volcanoes. The lake level was highest during warmer and humid climate of the Allerød. Diatom assemblages indicated the higher lake level between 12 730–12 160 cal yr BP. The first half of Younger Dryas was characterized by heavy snowfalls. Cooling attributed to the Younger Dryas in the Southern Kurils was less distinct than on the continent. The pollen assemblages recorded changes in vegetation on the land bridge. At the end of the Pleistocene large areas were occupied by birch forests and shrub pine. The broadleaf species first appeared at the end of Allerød. Starting from the Pleistocene-Holocene transition and during the early Holocene , the role of conifers sharply increased. In the middle Holocene the proportion of broadleaf trees in forests increased. Coniferous forests became abundant during the Little Ice Age. Short-tern climatic fluctuations correlate well with regional pattern, particularly with fluctuations of the moisture supply.

Age-related pattern in bark formation of Betula ermanii growing in volcanic environments from southern Sakhalin and Kuril Islands (Northeast Asia)

Age-related pattern in bark formation of Betula ermanii growing in volcanic environments from southern Sakhalin and Kuril Islands (Northeast Asia)

THE LIMITS OF A LABEL: FRAMING EASTERN ASIA’S TERRITORIAL CONFLICTS FOR A U.S.-AMERICAN AUDIENCE

This article explores limits to the framing power of several important short terms and phrases typically used within eastern Asia’s international politics. It conceptualises these labels as terminological frames. As frames, these terms/phrases help to set agendas, categorise, emphasise certain perspectives while excluding others from view, and ultimately shape opinions about controversial issues within international politics. Yet, I argue, the limits of frames have been insufficiently explored, especially as frames are taken to new audiences whose understanding of the broader discourses associated with the issues are weaker than that of the original audience. Do these terms still produce framing effects outside of eastern Asia? The study relied on a short survey of 800 U.S.-Americans. Respondents answered differing versions of questions relating to eastern Asian maritime politics in order to ascertain whether the wording and labels used affect evaluation of political issues. Specifically, the survey sought to determine whether use of East Sea vs. Sea of Japan, Northern Territories vs. Southern Kurils, and South China Sea vs. East Sea affected views of maritime disputes and issues relating to Korea, Japan, Russia, China/Taiwan, and Vietnam. It also explored whether an increasingly central phrase in eastern Asia’s maritime territorial disputes—“inherent territory”—presented a stronger claim than other possible phrases claiming territory. Survey results showed no statistical difference through use of one term or label over another. Thus, a certain type of limit to the power of these terminological frames was found. Nevertheless, the survey additionally demonstrated that producing framing effects required only a slight addition to the terminology, confirming the ease of framing international political issues to partisan effect.

The Earthquake of February 13, 2020, M = 7.0 and Seismotectonic Conditions at Intermediate Depths of the Southern Kuril Islands

The Earthquake of February 13, 2020, M = 7.0 and Seismotectonic Conditions at Intermediate Depths of the Southern Kuril Islands

Kuryle Południowe – przekazania Japonii nie będzie

The development of Russian-Japanese relations from the moment the two countries met in the eighteenth century was an arena of clashes and fights for the islands of the Sea of Okhotsk – the Kurils and Sakhalin. Russia and Japan divided them among themselves according to their political needs. At the outbreak of war in the Far East, South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands were within the borders of Japan. The Soviet Union had been planning to change this situation for years. It did so by starting war with Japan in August 1945. The USSR occupied not only the islands promised at Yalta, but much more, namely the Southern Kurils, i.e., the islands of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and the Habomai. Japan demanded their return citing historical rights.

Печеночники (Marchantiophyta) термальных источников вулкана Баранского (остров Итуруп, Курильские острова, Россия)

For the first time, a complete list of liverworts from the thermal habitats of Baransky Volcano of Iturup Island, South Kurils is compiled and analyzed. Based on investigation of four collecting sites, 37 species of liverworts were found in direct zone of source of exposure. The presented list of species includes distribution of liverworts on thermal springs and their substrata confinement. In addition, the ecology of recorded species in the southern Kuril Islands is discussed. The size of hydrothermal field, diversity of habitats and competition with mosses and vascular plants impact on species diversity of different thermal habitats. The common species in the studied hydrothermal springs are Calypogeia pseudointegristipula, Cephalozia bicuspidata, Marsupella tubulosa, Nardia assamica, N. subclavata and Solenostoma vulcanicola. The originality of the hepatic flora of thermal springs of Baransky Vulcano is in its richness, unique species composition for each partial flora, presence of rare (Asperifolia arguta, Diplophyllum sibiricum, Nardia compressa) and peculiar (Nardia subclavata, Solenostoma vulcanicola) species.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ МЕТОДА LURR ДЛЯ АНАЛИЗА СЕЙСМИЧНОСТИ ЮЖНЫХ КУРИЛЬСКИХ ОСТРОВОВ

An approach is proposed for the analysis of seismic sequences for the Southern Kuril Islands by the load/unload response ratio (LURR) method. Optimal parameters for carrying out calculations were chosen using a circular area, the center of which was the epicenter of the Shikotan earthquake of October 4, 1994. Calculations were carried out for two more earthquakes of August 11, 1969 and March 24, 1978, which were the strongest in the last century. In all cases, anomalies in the LURR parameter were found several years before the earthquakes. To test the stability of the anomalies, several zones were investigated near the epicenters of the tested events. The anomalies were demonstrated to be unstable, that is, they can appear at different times or disappear altogether. The forecast efficiency was tested on the epicentral region of the Shikotan earthquake for the period 1965–2020. During this period, six anomalies were recorded, five of which preceded earthquakes with a magnitude of mb ≥ 6.5 that either occurred in immediate vicinity or were included in the calculated area, as well as one false alarm and a missed target.

ИСТОРИЯ ПОЛИТИКО-ДИПЛОМАТИЧЕСКОЙ БОРЬБЫ СССР И ЯПОНИИ ПО ПОВОДУ ПРИНАДЛЕЖНОСТИ ЮЖНЫХ КУРИЛ В ХХ СТОЛЕТИИ

The purpose of the article is to analyze the problem of territorial and political demarcation between Russia and Japan, as well as to consider the chronology of the diplomatic struggle over the ownership of the Southern Kuriles during the second half of the 20th century. Much attention is given to the reasons and prerequisites for the evolution of the positions taken by the parties on the implementation of various options for resolving the issue of sovereignty over the Kuril Islands. General scientific and special research methods such as historical, systemic and comparative legal analysis are used. As a result, the author draws conclusions that Japanese demands for transfering the southern part of the Kuril Islands should be recognized as one of the first attempts to revise the results of the Second World War in the 20th century.