Poaching incidents involving rare species designated as national natural monuments have repeatedly occurred on Japan's Nansei Islands. On Amami Oshima, three Chinese men illegally caught about 5,200 terrestrial hermit crabs, while in Okinawa, four others were arrested for capturing Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtles. Experts are urging harsher penalties to protect the ecosystem.
Poaching of rare species, including those designated as national natural monuments, has been repeatedly occurring on Japan's Nansei Islands, where these creatures fetch high prices in overseas markets. In May 2025, on Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, three Chinese men in their 20s—a university student, a company employee, and an investor—were arrested for illegally possessing about 5,200 terrestrial hermit crabs, totaling 160 kilograms, without permission. They had flown to the island via Hong Kong and caught the crabs barehanded over a week at five different beaches, intending to sell them online, despite knowing it violated Japanese law.
The discovery came after Keiichiro Tabata, manager of Hotel Bigmarine Amami, noticed scratching sounds from the men's suitcases left at the front desk and reported their suspicious behavior—staying mostly at night and extending their visit—to police via an Environment Ministry contact. Officers found the crabs stuffed in laundry nets inside the suitcases and three more near a ferry terminal. The men were summarily indicted under the Cultural Properties Protection Law and fined ¥300,000, but around 700 crabs died while held as evidence. Tabata expressed outrage, saying, “Stealing the island’s treasures for profit is unforgivable.”
Terrestrial hermit crabs, which inhabit tropical and subtropical coasts including the Nansei and Ogasawara Islands, were designated national natural monuments in 1970 due to declining populations. Only licensed businesses in Okinawa Prefecture can capture and distribute them domestically, and export is prohibited. They have gained popularity as pets in China and Taiwan, with sought-after species like the Blueberry hermit crab selling for about ¥20,000 each. Special researcher Hsu Chia-Hsuan at the National Institute for Environmental Studies noted that Japanese specimens are larger and easier to find, attracting poachers despite the risks.
In a related case, Okinawa Prefectural Police arrested four Chinese nationals in their 20s and 30s in October 2025 for capturing 37 Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtles, an endangered national natural monument found only in Okinawa, under the Law on Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The turtles, dubbed “living fossils,” were caught during a customs inspection before smuggling to Hong Kong, falsely labeled as “biscuits,” with black market values of ¥380,000 to ¥570,000 per turtle. The Naha District Public Prosecutors Office indicted them in November, and their trial began at the Naha District Court in January 2026.
Environment Ministry staff patrolled Amami Oshima in late December to deter poaching, checking for suspicious activity. Senior researcher Takahiro Kubo at the National Institute for Environmental Studies warned, “The poaching cases uncovered are likely just the tip of the iceberg,” calling for greater awareness, stronger conservation efforts, and stricter penalties in Japan.
