Estonia, together with several other European countries, is exploring ways to lower the level of protection afforded to brown bears, reports ERR News.Currently, bears are protected under the European Union’s Habitants Directive. Estonia argues that moving the species from Annex IV to Annex V of the directive would make it easier to manage bear population numbers. The directive was established before the EU’s enlargement, which saw the accession of countries with large bear populations.Aimar Rakko, an advisor on hunting at the Ministry of Climate, identified potential allies for this initiative, including neighboring Finland, Sweden, and Latvia, as well as Poland (where fatal bear attacks have occurred), Slovakia, Romania (where people have also died in bear attacks), Croatia, Slovenia, and other Balkan nations. While no formal application has been submitted yet, Rakko noted that approximately ten countries could potentially join forces. He added that while these issues are open for discussion, the political and social dimensions complicate the decision-making process, as not everyone supports more extensive bear hunting. Timo Kark, Head of the Biodiversity Department at the Ministry of Climate, stated that one of the obstacles is the image of the bear—while the wolf, for instance, is cast as the villain in fairy tales, the bear is often portrayed as a lovable animal. He noted that the process will, in any case, be a long one; it will require a majority of countries to propose amendments to the Bern Convention, which would then need to be approved by the convention’s member states. Only then could the European Commission move forward with changes to the directive’s annexes—a step that would again require the support of member states.Slovakia, which is home to at least 2,500 bears and has seen 16 attacks over the last decade—four of which were fatal—supports Estonia’s initiative. Meanwhile, Slovenia (with 1,000 bears and 20 recorded attacks over the past ten years) supports discussions regarding changes but has not yet adopted an official position. Romania has doubled its annual hunting quota for bears to 969, with its total population estimated at between 10,419 and 12,770 individuals. Rako attributes the legal impasse to the fact that in 1992, when the Habitats Directive was adopted, countries with large bear populations—including Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, and Finland—had not yet joined the EU. He dismisses the relocation of bears as a viable solution; Estonian forests are too small, meaning a bear would return within a day or two, and relocation—funded by the state—merely shifts the problem from one area to another.Since April of this year, bear hunting in Estonia has been permitted only under special authorizations issued by the Environmental Board in cases where the animals cause problems. Hunters have pointed out that this has effectively brought an end to bear hunting.This autumn, the Board issued hunting permits for 30 bears, ten of which have been culled. Meanwhile, the Environment Agency has recommended that up to 150 bears be culled.
Estonia seeks allies to ease bear hunting restrictions
