July 6, 2005 His Excellency Junichiro Koizumi Office of the Prime Minister of Japan Cabinet Secretariat 1-6-1 Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 100-8914 JAPAN Fax: +81-3-3581-3883 E-mail: jpm@kantei.go.jp, kanteihp-info@cas.go.jp Your Excellency: We write to you today on behalf of the US zoo and aquarium community. We are extremely concerned about the planned route of the Siberia-Pacific Pipeline, intended to originate in Taishet (Siberia) and terminate in Perevoznaya Bay on the Sea of Japan. The proposed oil terminal site is right in the middle of one of Russia’s richest biodiversity hotspots. More than thirty percent of Russia’s endangered species live in this region. The proposed pipeline route and terminal threaten several important protected areas including Russia's only marine preserve and Russia's oldest nature preserve, which is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and home to the only remaining population of Amur leopards. With a population of around thirty in the wild, the beautiful Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is one of the rarest cats on earth. With increasing support from Russian and Chinese authorities, scientists and conservationists have made great efforts to save the remaining Amur leopard population. The strategy to stabilize and expand the leopard population includes fighting poaching, increasing education, and protecting habitat. These efforts are jeopardized by the planned Siberia-Pacific Pipeline route. We respectfully ask you to urge Transneft and the Russian government to utilize the alreadydeveloped port of Nakhodka for the oil terminal and pipeline terminus. This solution will spare the Amur leopard population as well as the other dozens of endangered species inhabiting Primorye. You have a unique opportunity and responsibility to save the Amur leopard from extinction. Building an oil terminal in Perevoznaya Bay is also a threat to Japan's economy. As has happened in the past, an oil spill in the Amur Bay would damage spawning grounds important to Japanese fisheries. Investing in a Nakhodka port would avoid this and other risks as well as improve shipping safety on the Sea of Japan. We join today with the many individuals and organizations in Europe, Japan, and the United States who are expressing concern about the survival of the Amur leopard and other endangered species in the Russian Far East. If Transneft and the Russian government proceed with the current plans for the Siberia-Pacific Pipeline, it will mean certain environmental disaster and the possible extinction of the Amur leopard. Instead, we ask you to make the best choice for Amur leopard survival: to ensure that the Siberia-Pacific Pipeline is routed to Nakhodka instead of Perevoznaya. Sincerely, The US Zoo Community
Zoo New England John Linehan, President/CEO One Franklin Park Road Boston, Massachusetts 02121 Tel: +1-617-989-2054; Fax: 617-989-2025 jlinehan@zoonewengland.com
Oregon Zoo Tony Vecchio, Director 4001 SW Canyon Rd. Portland, Oregon 97221 Tel: +1-503-226-1561 www.oregonzoo.org
Central Florida Zoological Park Joe Montisano, CEO P.O. Box 470309 Lake Monroe, Florida 32747-0309 Tel: +1-407-323-4450; Fax: +1-407-321-0900 www.centralfloridazoo.org/
Santa Barbara Zoo Josh Charlton, Lead Mammal Keeper Robyn R. Charlton, Education Specialist 500 Ninos Drive Santa Barbara, California 93103 Tel: +1-805-962-5339; Fax: +1-805-962-1673 jcharlton@sbzoo.org, rcharlton@sbzoo.org
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo Lee G. Simmons, Director 3701 South 10th Street Omaha, Nebraska 68107 Tel: +1-402-733-8401; Fax +1-402-733-4415 lsimmons@omahazoo.com
Dallas Zoo & The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park Rich Buickerood, Director 650 South RL Thornton Fwy Dallas, Texas 75203 Tel: +1-214-670-6742 RBUICKE@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us www.dallas-zoo.org
Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park Sheila M. Green, General Curator 185 Park Avenue
Binghamton, NY 13903 Tel: +1-607-724-5461 x227 www.binghamtonzoo.org Topeka Zoological Park Cornelia J. Ketz-Riley, Head Veterinarian 635 SW Gage Blvd Topeka, Kansas 66606 Tel: +1-785-368-9146; Fax: +1-785-368-9152 cketz@topeka.org
Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum Stephen Walker, Director 5701 E 36th St N Tulsa, Oklahoma 74115 Tel: +1-918-669-6223; Fax: +1-918-669-6260 stephenwalker@cityoftulsa.org, www.tulsazoo.org
Saint Louis Zoo Jane Merkel, Zoological Manager/Animal Health Erika Travis, Veterinary Resident Jim Buergler, Distribution Supervisor 1 Government Dr. St.Louis, Missouri 63110 Tel: +1-314-781-0900 www.stlzoo.org
Potawatomi Zoo Greg Bockheim, Director 500 S. Greenlawn AV. South Bend, Indiana 46615 Tel: +1-574-235-5549
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium John Houck, Deputy Director 5400 N. Pearl St. Tacoma, Washington 98407 253-404-3632 jhouck@pdza.org
Sedgwick County Zoo Mike Quick, Mammal Curator Tel: +1-316-266-8237; Fax: +1-316-942-3781 5555 Zoo Boulevard Wichita, Kansas 67212-1698 www.scz.org
San Antonio Zoological Society
J. Stephen McCusker, Executive Director 3903 N. St. Mary's Street San Antonio, Texas 78216 Tel: +1-210-734-7184 x110 mccusker@sazoo-aq.org Denver Zoological Foundation Beth Jo Schoeberl, Curator of Carnivores and Primates 2900 E 23rd Ave Denver, Colorodo 80205 Tel: +1-303-376-4905 bjschoeberl@denverzoo.org
Buffalo Zoo Donna Fernandes, President/CEO 300 Parkside Avenue Buffalo, New York 14214-1999 Tel: +1-716-837-3900 Fax: +1-716-837-0738 www.buffalozoo.org
Salisbury Zoological Park Jim Rapp, Director 755 South Park Drive PO Box 2979 Salisbury, Maryland 21802-2979 Tel: +1-410-548-3188; Fax: +1-410-860-0919 www.salisburyzoo.org
Abilene Zoological Gardens Jeff Bullock, Director 2070 Zoo Lane Abilene, Texas 79602 Tel: +1-325-676-6590; Fax: +1-325-676-6084
Minnesota Zoo Lee C. Ehmke, Director / CEO 13000 Zoo Boulevard Apple Valley, Minnesota 55124 Tel: +1-952 431-9299; Fax: 952 431-9336 www.mnzoo.com
El Paso Zoo Lea R. Hutchinson, Director 4001 E. Paisano El Paso, Texas 79905-4223 Tel: +1-915-521-1850 www.elpasozoo.org
Erie Zoo James P. Rhea, Director Cynthia Kreider, General Curator P.O. Box 3268; 423 West 38th Street Erie, Pennsylvania 16508 Tel: +1-814-864-4091; Fax: +1-814-864-1140 ckreider@eriezoo.org, jrhea@eriezoo.org Glen Oak Zoo Yvonne Strode, Director 2218 N. Prospect Rd. Peoria, Illinois 61603 Tel: +1-309-686-3365 www.peoriaparks.org/zoo/
Pittsburgh Zoo Barbara Baker, Director 1 Wild Pl Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Tel: +1-412-665-3640 www.pittsburghzoo.com