Romania’s new environment minister has announced he will cull 220 brown bears a year, less than half the quota proposed by his pro-hunting predecessor.
Mircea Fechet’s more cautious approach reflects a growing awareness of the delicate balance required in managing human-wildlife interactions, particularly regarding the brown bear population in Romania.
Former minister Tanczos Barna, from the ethnic Hungarian party planned for 480 bears to be eliminated.
Fechet, from the National Liberal Party, has stressed the need for careful consideration when tackling the issue, which is fraught with risks linked to encounters between humans and bears.
He favors a mix of specialist advice and public opinion to create a balanced and effective strategy. The new order will be offered for public debate and also sent to the Romanian Academy for approval.
The Romanian Academy has proposed quotas of 140 for prevention and 80 for intervention. Fechet opposes trophy hunting of bears, but concedes that intervention is necessary due to the damage caused by the bears.
His objective is not to eradicate the bear population but to manage it in a way that ensures public safety without compromising the survival of the species.
Fechet wants to steer clear of the controversy surrounding a 2021 incident when a prince from Liechtenstein hunted and killed a large bear called Arthur, reportedly Romania’s biggest brown bear.
The culling process, which can be shooting or euthanasia, will be managed by personnel from the hunting fund. The measure seeks to prevent outside parties from exploiting the situation for trophy hunting, ensuring the process is carried out responsibly and professionally.
Romania has a population of at least 6,000 bears, most of them in the northwest Transylvania region. The brown bear is an endangered species.
Romanian Parliament bill allows killing of bears in the wild
