Joint Project Launched to Protect the Yellow = Sea

Beijing, China, Sept 7, 2007 - = (JCN=20 Newswire) - WWF and Panasonic -the leading brand by = which=20 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is known- = have=20 announced the agreement of the Yellow Sea Ecoregion = Support=20 Project (YSESP) to conserve the health of marine = ecosystem of=20 the Yellow Sea, one of WWF's Global 200 that is listed = as=20 regions to be conserved with = priority.

Initiated at the=20 beginning of this year, the 7-year regional = conservation=20 project is schemed to realize the goal of securing = sufficient=20 public concern, appropriate protection, and effective=20 management of the critical habitats of the Yellow Sea = by=20 supporting local communities' sustainable conservation = activities. The project will be implemented in three = phases to=20 render a successful Asian coexistence model of marine=20 ecosystem and human living that can be deployed in = other parts=20 of the world. Particular pilot areas in China and = South Korea=20 using international standard conservation methods will = be set=20 up to carry out conservation works with involvement of = local=20 communities.

The Yellow Sea surrounded by China = and the=20 Korean Peninsura is noted for the extremely high = biodiversity=20 due to its world-class continental shelf, having been = enjoyed=20 by people as a rich fishing ground and great = recreational=20 destination since ancient ages. The area including the = Yellow=20 Sea and the Bohai Sea that covers about 460,000 square = kilometers has been specified by WWF as the "Yellow = Sea=20 Ecoregion (YSE)," which is listed as one of the 238 = regions in=20 the world that should be conserved with high=20 priority.

A total of 23 Potential Priority = Areas (PPAs)=20 were identified after a science-based ecoregion = planning=20 project launched by WWF, Korean Ocean Research and = Development=20 Institute (KORDI) and Korean Environment Institute = (KEI) in=20 July 2002 to find the critical habitats for the = maintenance of=20 the biodiversity in the YSE. A map containing the PPAs = results=20 was published last December and adopted by UNDP for = making its=20 environmental policies towards the Yellow = Sea.

The=20 YSESP will be implemented by WWF in China in close = cooperation=20 with the State Oceanic Administration (SOA), while = KORDI takes=20 the primary responsibility in South Korea. Meanwhile, = WWF will=20 also work with State Environmental Protection = Administration=20 (SEPA) and State Forestry Administration (SFA) on = other=20 environmental issues. The recruitment of application = for the=20 small grant was also announced at the launch=20 ceremony.

Features of The Yellow Sea = Ecoregion=20 Support Project

1) Balancing human livelihood = and=20 biodiversity:
The Yellow Sea is said to be the = "Asian=20 village sea" because the livelihoods of people living = on the=20 coast are heavily dependent on the ocean. = Consequently, the=20 most important aspect of this project is balancing the = development of human living and conservation of the = marine=20 ecosystem.

2) An international project = supported by a=20 Japanese Corporation:
This project is realized with = support=20 from Panasonic. This is the first instance of a = Japanese=20 corporation supporting an international biodiversity=20 conservation project including China, South Korea, and = Japan.=20 The project duration is seven years.

3) = Collaboration=20 of private sector organizations of China, South Korea, = and=20 Japan:
This project will be jointly led by WWF = Japan, WWF=20 China, and KORDI. These private sector organizations = work=20 together cross-regionally by making the most of each = other's=20 conservation experiences.

4) Working with = UNDP:
UNDP=20 has been deploying the UNDP/Global Environment = Facility Yellow=20 Sea Project. This project conducts cross-regional = conservation=20 policy in China and South Korea. WWF recommends that = UNDP=20 adopts the Potential Priority Area Map of the Yellow = Sea=20 Ecoregion and its data into the UNDP policies. This = will=20 provide regional communities with international = policies to=20 solve their issues.

Structure of the = Yellow Sea=20 Ecoregion Support Project

The 1st stage: August = 2007 -=20 March 2010
Assisting local communities in China and = South=20 Korea to promote public awareness and conservation = activities=20 through small grant, and offering an opportunity to = exchange=20 conservation methods, knowledge and = experiences

The 2nd=20 stage: January 2010 - March 2013
Setting up pilot = areas=20 using international conservation methods with local=20 communities in China and South Korea to deploy = conservation=20 works

The 3rd stage: April 2013 - September=20 2014
Putting the conservation cases/results from = the first=20 and second phases in a report of accomplishments that = is to be=20 served as a successful Asian model of coexisting = marine=20 ecosystem and human living to be deployed in the other = fields=20 in the world

Panasonic Supports the Project = as a=20 Corporate Supporter of WWF

Panasonic = (Matsushita=20 Electric) agreed to support this project for its = purpose of=20 biodiversity conservation, considered one of the most=20 important environmental issues, and for its = cross-border=20 nature involving China, Japan and South Korea. = Panasonic=20 supported the WWF Japan's Ariake Sea Project from 2000 = to=20 2005. The conservation knowledge and expertise = fostered in the=20 Ariake project will be turned to practical use in the = Yellow=20 Sea Ecoregion Support Project.

Panasonic has=20 established two corporate visions: contributing to the = realization of the ubiquitous network society and = living in=20 harmony with the global environment. As to its = corporate=20 citizenship activities, based on the "nurturing and=20 coexisting" as activity policy, the company has been = deploying=20 long term global activities focusing on its priority = areas of=20 children, environment and welfare. Based on these = corporate=20 policies, Panasonic will support the Yellow Sea = Ecoregion=20 Support Project for a seven year = period.

Panasonic is=20 entitled as the Corporate Supporter, a WWF's = international=20 corporate partnership scheme, by WWF International for = the=20 support of the Yellow Sea Ecoregion Support Project. = Panasonic=20 is the first Asian company to be entitled as the = Corporate=20 Supporter. As a Corporate Supporter of WWF, Panasonic = and WWF=20 will be working together on the inclusive conservation = activities, not only on the Yellow Sea Ecoregion = Support=20 Project but also on setting up Panasonic's Green = Purchasing=20 Policy of Paper with exchanging opinions with WWF.=20

Starting Open Recruitment of Small Grant=20 Organizations

On September 7, WWF and KORDI = started=20 calling for organizations that will be granted = financial and=20 information support in the first stage of this = project.=20

The application period is two months and ends = on=20 October 31. After closing, the application documents = will be=20 carefully screened. The grant recipients will be = selected by=20 the Project Advisory Group in December. The = conservation=20 activities by the selected organizations will be = initiated=20 from January through the end of December 2008. About = five=20 organizations in China and three organizations in = South Korea=20 are planned to start the first year=20 activities.

Vision Statement

The = Yellow Sea=20 Ecoregion Support Project will cooperate with partners = to=20 achieve the vision:

By 2020, the Yellow Sea = becomes a=20 sea where life-supporting critical habitats are = effectively=20 protected and managed; where populations of the most=20 ecologically, economically, and culturally important = species=20 are restored and thriving; and where coastal = communities enjoy=20 a full spectrum of ecosystem services provided by a = healthy=20 large marine ecosystem.

About Panasonic (Matsushita = Electric=20 Industrial)

Best known by its Panasonic brand = name,=20 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is a = worldwide leader=20 in the development and manufacture of electronic = products for=20 a wide range of consumer, business and industrial = needs. Based=20 in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net = sales=20 of US$76.02 billion for the year ended March 31, 2006. = The=20 Company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, = Nagoya and=20 New York (NYSE:MC) stock exchanges. For more = information on=20 the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the = Company's=20 website at http://panasonic.net/.

Contact: =

Tan Rui, Communications Officer, WWF China
Tel: +86 10 6522 7100 ext. 3813
E-mail: rtan@wwfchina.org

Hiroko Sakuma, Press Officer, WWF Japan
Tel: +81 3 3769 1713
E-mail: sakuma@wwf.or.jp

Hyunjoo Kang, KORDI
Tel: +82 31 400 6070
Email: hjkang@kordi.re.kr

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (in Japan)
Akira Kadota, International PR
Tel: +81 3 3578 1237

Panasonic News Bureau
Tel: +81 3 3542 6205

Panasonic Corporation of China
Wang Ge, You Nan,
Corporate Planning Department, Public Relation Section
Tel: +86 10 6562 6233

Actions

=95 View Panasonic = (Matsushita=20 Electric Industrial) company profile=20 here

=95 = Search=20 for more articles about Panasonic = (Matsushita=20 Electric Industrial) here

=95 Register for News = Alerts about=20 Panasonic (Matsushita Electric Industrial) = here

=95 Make a product or = service=20 inquiry to Panasonic (Matsushita Electric=20 Industrial) here

Sept=20 7, 2007
Source: Panasonic (Matsushita = Electric=20 Industrial)
Panasonic (Matsushita Electric=20 Industrial) (TSE: 6752) (U.S: MC)
From the = Japan=20 Corporate News Network =
http://www.japancorp.net=20
Topic: Press release summary
View = more=20 news from these Sectors: Environmental,=20 Trade=20 & = Commerce