Slovakia will shoot 350 bears. “You can't live in a country where people are afraid to go to the forest”
The government of Slovakia approved 350 bears on April 2 and introduced an extraordinary state in 55 of 79 poviats of the country after finding a man of a man on Sunday, whom the bear probably killed. According to nature defenders, the planned shooting exceeds the permissible level several times.
Minister of the environment Tomasz Taraba, who said on Wednesday, that a population of 800 bears said in the country with a proposal to shoot 350 animals. In his opinion, these animals in Slovakia may be much more than indicated by the data of Czech scientists from 2019. These data showed that the population of this legally protected species is from 1012 to 1275 individuals (according to some estimates – up to 3,500 individuals).
Taraba announced that bears They will not be the target of hunters and foresters in national parks. In his opinion, the problems related to predators have been ignored over the years and they cannot be solved overnight. He added that the number of human meetings with bears in the country increased in recent years to 1900 last year.
Prime Minister Robert Fico said that the decision to shoot is “extremely delicate”, but one cannot live in a country where “people are afraid to go to the forest.”
The government's decision was criticized by organizations defending environment and animal rights. According to them, a shot to regulate the size of the bear's population should not be higher than 80 individuals a year, and the decision to eliminate 350 animals has not been based on scientific analyzes. In the application to the government for permission to shoot, Taraba referred to the State Guard of Nature Conservation, but did not provide detailed data.
Expert: In this way, the Fico government wants to show its agency
Scientists consider this solution too radical, and at the same time ineffective. Where did the determination of representatives of the Slovak government come from to carry them out quickly?
As Jan Rafael Lupomesky explained PAP, “Bear matter” appeared at an extremely inconvenient moment for the Fico office.
“This is its fourth government. And the most difficult of all. In Slovakia one political fire erupts after the other, and Fico does not keep up with their extinguishing. A year after the election, the coalition government lost the marshal and most in parliament. In March, it seemed that the situation was quite mastered, because Fico tamed the rebelling members of the coalition parties with the functions of ministers and deputy ministers. Added to this is his very bold game against Ukraine and Randes Vous with Russia, “he mentioned the expert and added:” In such a situation, the scourge fell on Slovakia. Around March 20, a pimples appeared, which is a huge problem, five outbreaks of the disease were already located, which required a few thousand cattle. The bear killed a man. “
The expert pointed out that the population of these predators in Slovakia has been growing for several years, which results in increasingly frequent incidents. Earlier, the shot of the bear was extremely difficult. Therefore, in June last year, the Slovak parliament adopted a law in which the conditions under which the mass elimination of these animals could be carried out. One of them is the introduction of an extraordinary state. “Precisely because of this law, this state was announced. Interestingly, he touches in most of the country, but because of pimples,” said Lupomesky.
In the opinion of PAP's interlocutor, it is a skirmish with the European Union to some extent, although it does not play a key role in this matter. “Ecoactivists protest against the announced shot of the bear, citing European protection, while the government wants to show that the interest, or the health and life of Slovaks, puts over the European interest,” explained the expert.
As Lupomesky argued, in Slovakia voices of opposition to such a radical solution are mainly voices of activists. Among the Slovaks is dominated by concern with the attacks of bear and the belief that if nature carries some threats, they should be fought. For the government, Fico is a chance to show the ability to deal with another crisis.
“On the other hand, the deputy prime minister and head of the Ministry of the Environment Tomasz Taraba has, I would say radically a” biblical “approach to nature. In this way his grouping (Slovak National Party – PAP), solving the problem of bear attacks, tries to show his agency,” added the interlocutor PAP.
As the expert summed up, Robert Fico came to power, because he managed to arouse the impression that he was a leader not shiding from hard and decisive solutions. Actions in terms of the scourge falling on its country, including bear attacks, is an attempt to play on the same string. (PAP)
Piotr Górecki (PAP)
PTG/ AKL/
