Minister Taraba wants to regulate brown bear populations; EU law does not allow bear shooting

Bratislava – Slovakia has a positive population curve of the brown bear, and therefore, it is necessary to proceed with widespread regulation. In connection with the case under Poľana in Detva, Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba (nominee of SNS) stated this on Monday. He also informed that on Monday, the State Nature Protection of the Slovak Republic delivered a justification for the proposed widespread culling of 350 individuals. However, last year, the European Commission (EC) emphasized that the EU Habitats Directive does not allow “preventive culling” of bears, reports TASR.

Taraba noted that on Wednesday (2. 4.) the government will present a proposal for declaring a state of emergency in the districts where the bear occurs, where simplified culling will be implemented. He added that the more bears there are, the more encounters with humans and more damage there is.

“I am convinced that just as they introduced in Romania, we will also introduce a preventive quota for bear culling in the foreseeable future in Slovakia,” he explained. According to him, they will regulate this individual broadly and preventively, just like in the past. He mentioned that he had a conversation with the Romanian Environment Minister and exchanged knowledge.

Under Poľana in the Zapriechody area in the Detva district, a dead man was found with devastating injuries. Preliminary findings suggest he succumbed to injuries after a brown bear attack. TASR informed about this on Monday from the State Nature Protection of the Slovak Republic.

Last August, the European Commission confirmed to the Euractiv Slovensko portal that EU member states cannot execute preventive culling of brown bears, because in the habitat directive there is no room for their preventive killing. An exception is possible only if there is no other economically and technically feasible alternative and it should not threaten the favorable conservation status of the species population in its natural range. (March 31)

“I am convinced that just as they introduced in Romania, we will also introduce a preventive quota for bear culling in the foreseeable future in Slovakia.” Tomáš Taraba