The Nature Conservation Agency (NCA) should allow hunting of all wild animals that appear near homes, pets, or beehives and pose a threat to human life, stated Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze (ZZS).
He noted that dangerous animals can already be hunted. Therefore, animals that approach homes, pets, or beehives should be promptly classified as dangerous in order to mitigate risks.
Although bears are protected animals, the minister believes that if a bear enters someone’s yard, it should be considered dangerous and permitted to be hunted. He added that over time, even bears that do not pose an immediate threat to humans should be allowed to be hunted – although this is a lengthy process due to international and European Union (EU) legislation.
“My serious call to society is to assess these matters objectively and rationally, and not to live under the illusion that a bear is a cute, fluffy creature or that a seal pup can be cuddled without danger,” the minister said, emphasizing that we should not wait until one of these animals attacks a child.
Krauze highlighted that this issue has also been discussed at the EU level, as there are several animal species in Europe that were previously protected but have now overpopulated, posing a threat to human life and causing significant damage.
THE MINISTER POINTED OUT THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE A LOT OF SEALS IN THE BALTIC SEA, EACH OF WHICH EATS FIVE TO TEN KILOGRAMS OF FISH DAILY.
The seal population has significantly increased due to the absence of hunting and natural predators. “The question is: where do we draw the line and say it’s time to limit them? When they start swimming into the Daugava River and try to find food at the Central Market? How far do we let this go?” asked Krauze.
He also noted that cormorant populations have surged. In areas where these birds settle, all vegetation dies because their droppings are highly acidic. While cormorants were once protected, their numbers are now very high.
The minister mentioned a case in Latvia where a lynx attacked a cow and mutilated its udder. “If these animals are already confident enough to approach homes, that’s very dangerous,” he stressed.
“I THINK WE’VE GONE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION – NATURE SHOULD BE PROTECTED, BUT THERE MUST BE BALANCE IN URBAN AND CIVILIZED ENVIRONMENTS, AND HUMAN SAFETY COMES FIRST.
We cannot yield to nature enthusiasts’ interests at the expense of people’s lives – be they children, berry pickers, or anyone else,” Krauze emphasized.
As previously reported, in early May this year, commenting on Krauze’s statements about the need to consider limiting the bear population in Latvia, the NCA emphasized that although the number of brown bears is increasing, there is no justification for allowing hunting or revoking the species’ protected status.
The NCA noted that the brown bear is an endangered species at the European level and is protected under the European Council Directive on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. Latvia’s first brown bear conservation plan was developed and adopted in 2003. Its goal is to maintain the favorable status of the Baltic brown bear population in the long term and to achieve this within Latvia without setting deadlines or population size limits.
Currently, Latvia is experiencing a stable recovery of the brown bear population, now reaching around 120 individuals. By comparison, Estonia has over 1,000 bears.
The brown bear is the largest predator in Latvia. Female bears can weigh up to 150 kilograms, while males may reach 300 kilograms. Brown bears can live over 30 years and have no natural predators in Latvia.
At the end of March, in an interview with Latvian Radio’s “Krustpunktā,” Krauze stated that 20–30 years ago there were only a few bears in Latvia, but now their numbers have grown significantly.
Therefore, the minister believes it is time to consider population control of this strictly protected species, to prevent further increase in bear numbers. He added that this is a matter of public safety, as last year a bear attacked an employee of the state-owned company “Latvijas valsts meži” (Latvian State Forests).
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