Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Japanese officials are setting aside funds to hire hunters Increase in wild bear attacks.
The Environment Ministry said it was launching a program to employ licensed hunters and other personnel to help tackle the problem.
bears have attacked Record number of people so far This year, at least 13 people were killed and more than 100 were injured.
In recent months, reports of bears breaking down school doors, attacking tourists at bus stops and breaking into supermarkets have made international headlines.
On Thursday, various ministries and agencies held the first high-level meeting to address the problem.
Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara said, “We will use the additional budget to hire more government hunters and others who can assist in the response.”
Officials said the additional funding, initially part of a ¥3.7 billion ($24 million) budget request for fiscal year 2026 that included projects to manage designated wildlife, would be included in this fiscal year’s supplemental budget.
Officials are also considering legal changes to allow police to shoot bears with rifles.
The Environment Ministry is considering including this and other initiatives in a package of measures it is drafting with the Agriculture Ministry and other agencies to prevent bear attacks.
“We have asked the police to respond as promptly as possible to allow the use of rifles to remove these bears,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters after the meeting.
Wildlife experts attribute the increase in bear attacks to environmental and demographic changes. Climate change has led to the depletion of natural food sources such as beechnuts in some areas, while population declines have left rural areas empty of people, prompting bears to wander into former human habitats.
The population of Asian black bears and brown bears is increasing in Japan, leading to frequent sightings in residential areas and even near Tokyo.
Experts say bear attacks typically increase in October and November, before hibernation season.
The problem is particularly severe in Akita Prefecture, home to about 880,000 people and a large bear population. At least two people have died and more than 50 have been injured in a bear attack here.
An amendment to the Wildlife Conservation, Control and Hunting Management Act that came into effect last month allows emergency hunting when bears are spotted around populated areas.
The discharge of firearms in residential areas was previously largely prohibited. However, now, local municipalities may allow it under specific conditions.
As a result, several emergency killings have already taken place near cities in the north-east of the country.
The government announced this this week Japan Self Defense Forces to support Akita Prefectural Officials are making efforts to capture and drive away the bears.
“People’s lives and livelihoods are in danger,” Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tuesday, according to Kyodo.