NEMURO, Hokkaido -- A recent survey has confirmed Siberian salamander larvae in wetlands near the future site of a major solar power project south of Hokkaido's Kushiro Shitsugen National Park.

The discovery was made by the northern environmental research institute, led by director Fusayuki Kanda, which has been conducting scientific studies of the wetlands.

The area where the larvae were found is near where an Osaka-based solar power company plans to build a "mega-solar" facility. While the site was previously considered a suitable habitat for the Siberian salamander, this is the first time any of the animals have been confirmed there, suggesting it may be a breeding ground.

The survey focused on about 9.8 hectares of privately-owned land south of the park's Hokuto archaeological site, a national historic landmark. With the landowner's permission, the NPO environmental monitoring promotion network, commissioned for the study, confirmed two salamander larvae, each about 11 millimeters long, on May 22.

According to the group, the Siberian salamander's egg-laying season runs from mid-April to early May, and because the survey took place in late May, no egg sacs were found. Shigeharu Terui, the network's director and a salamander researcher, noted that the area contains many water bodies suitable for breeding and that spawning likely occurred more widely than the two larvae indicate. He added, "If we can survey when egg sacs could be found, we should be able to better understand the population size and range."

The salamander's range is believed to extend at least several hundred meters from the water where the larvae were found. Under Kushiro's cultural property protection ordinance, any activity that could affect the preservation of cultural assets requires prior approval from the city's board of education.

Kanda, who also chairs the city's environmental council, emphasized, "Finding Siberian salamanders at the planned (solar plant) development site is highly significant for species conservation," and added, "There are also serious concerns about the impact on the landscape."

The Osaka company is planning a total of 17 projects in the city, one of which would produce less than 1 megawatt. In a separate project near the newly confirmed salamander site, Hokkaido authorities recommended halting construction on Sept. 2 due to a violation of the Forest Act.

According to documents disclosed to local and national lawmakers, the Osaka company plans to install an approximately 2-megawatt solar facility on about 9.8 hectares, including the land where the larvae were found. The company told the Mainichi Shimbun it was unaware of the salamander's presence, stating, "We did not conduct a survey because the Kushiro City Museum said the species was not present."

Regarding future construction, the company said, "Since the wetland is also a feeding ground for red-crowned cranes and the city is working to introduce a permit system for large-scale solar facilities, it may be difficult to begin construction before the ordinance is enacted."

About the Hokkaido salamander

The Siberian salamander is a cold-adapted amphibian, about 11 to 13 centimeters long, found across northern Eurasia. In Japan, it is confirmed only in the Kushiro Wetland, Kamishihoro, and Kunashiri Island in the Northern Territories. Known as a "glacial relict," its egg sacs glow blue-white in sunlight just after spawning, earning it the nickname "sapphire of the wetlands." The species is designated as "class II" under the Act on Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, prohibiting capture or transfer for commercial purposes, and Kushiro named it a natural monument. The Environment Ministry classifies it as "Endangered IB" (high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future).

(Japanese original by Hiroaki Homma, Nemuro Bureau)

Rare salamander larvae found at planned Hokkaido solar site, raising conservation concerns