Reference
The establishment of the Shantar Islands National Park is stipulated in the action plan on implementing the Federal Natural Reserves Development Concept up to 2020, which was approved by Government Resolution No. 2322-r of 22 December 2011.
The national park will promote the preservation of the unique nature on the Shantar Islands in the Sea of Okhotsk, which bears a major nature-conservation and scientific significance, in particular, as a habitat of rare and endangered plant and animal species listed in the Red Book of endangered species of the Russian Federation. The Shantar Islands have great biodiversity and large populations of animals and birds. The rivers on the Shantar Islands are huge salmon spawning grounds. The Sea of Okhotsk waters are a feeding and breeding area of maritime fish species. Several species of whales are regularly spotted here, and the shores host numerous pinniped rookeries and sealing grounds, including those of sea lions.
The national park with an area of 515,500 hectares will be set up on the islands in the Shantar Archipelago in the Khabarovsk Territory comprising forest and water fund areas in the islands of the Sea of Okhotsk. The park will be under the jurisdiction and management of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources. The resolution contains a number of relevant instructions for the Ministry of Natural Resources for maintaining the regime of specially protected natural complexes and sites in the national park, and dealing with management issues.