Minister Huliak Requests Permission to Cull 100 Bears in Podpolanie Region

Bratislava, April 15 (TASR) - Tourism and Sport Minister Rudolf Huliak (Independent), has requested State Nature Conservation (SOP) for an exemption to cull 100 brown bears in the Polana and Podpolanie areas (Banska Bystrica region), explaining the move as a response to the growing bear population in the region, the minister stated at Tuesday's press conference, adding that he's offering assistance in carrying out an extraordinary intervention to reduce the population by 350 bears. "If we're granted the exemption, we'll cull problematic bears who approach where people live. We're also calling on the management of State Nature Conservation and the Polana protected area, and we're publicly requesting an exemption for 100 bears that need to be culled in the Polana and Podpolanie region. The aim is to encourage people to return from the Slovak countryside to the forests, so they can enjoy activities such as picking mushroom in peace," Huliak explained, adding that accommodation providers in Detva have already reported financial losses due to cancelled bookings. "We need 100 exemptions for local associations and the Podpolanie area to make this possible," the minister added. He emphasised that the bear population in the region has increased significantly based on recent counts. "Originally, there were around 105 bears. Now there are reports of approximately 460," he noted. The government declared a state of emergency in several districts due to the bear situation in early April. It also approved an extraordinary culling of 350 bears based on a report by the State Nature Conservation Agency. lin/df