Shantar Islands - Ecology

Ecology

There is no permanent population on the Shantar Islands, but they are often visited by commercial fishermen who use them as a base. Other economic activities undertaken on these islands are fur hunting and trapping as well as lumbering, which in the past were often done illegally. There are spruce forests on the largest islands. Other trees in the island taiga are the Siberian spruce, the Dahurian larch and the mountain pine.

Although there is little evidence of human impact, the Shantar island ecosystem is under threat. There many endangered birds in these islands, including the Blakiston's Fish Owl, Osprey, Black Stork, Red-necked Grebe, Gyrfalcon, Solitary Snipe, Steller's Sea Eagle and the Siberian Grouse.

The Kamchatka brown bear (Ursus arctos beringianus), sable and marten are common on the Shantar Islands.

The waters around these coastal islands are frozen for about eight months on a yearly average, so that they are merged with the mainland most of the year. Pinnipeds such as Bearded seals, and Cetaceans of endangered population such as Bowhead whales, western gray whales and Belugas can be seen in the waters off the islands and come very close to shore.

One of the most severe threats to the environment of the Shantar Islands is a proposed tidal hydroelectric power station, which is currently on hold for lack of funds.