The creation of the Bikin national park in the Primorye Territory will help not only to stabilise but also increase the population of Amur tigers, Himalayan bears, and other rare and endangers species. Furthermore, it will help preserve the forests included on the preliminary UNESCO World Natural Heritage list.

Bikin is one of the last full analogues of preglacial cedar and broadleaved forests in the northern hemisphere and part of a large and pristine area covering around 4,000 sq. m.

“The preservation of this forest and its resources, as well as its environmental protection and regenerative functions is critical for the residents of the Bikin River basin, specifically for the small-numbered indigenous peoples — the Udege and Nanai — who engage in traditional hunting, fishing, and harvest pine nuts and medicinal herbs,” Russian Natural Resources and Environment Minister Sergei Donskoi said.

The Russian government draft resolution “On the Creation of the Bikin National Park”, prepared by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, is currently being discussed publically.

The future park will have an area of 1.1 million hectares, over 600,000 of which will be allocated to the traditional activities of small-numbered indigenous peoples. The park is set to incorporate the Verkhnebikinsky state nature reserve and part of the Bikinskaya regional nature reserve.

The Bikin River basin is a unique nature complex. In addition to Amur tigers, it abounds in brown and Himalayan bears, elk and red deer, Sika deer and roe deer, musk deer and wild boar, mink and sable, lynx and wolverine, as well as a wealth of other species.