Greenpeace Slovakia and Greenpeace Poland have launched a public appeal against the planned culling of 350 bears approved by the Slovak government. The collection of signatures for an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Robert Fico and the European Commissioner for the Environment aims to halt the plan.
The organisations state that the move could have a negative impact on the entire Carpathian region and may also contravene European legislation.
According to Greenpeace, the Slovak government's plan to kill 350 bears is completely reckless, as it has chosen to implement a mass cull instead of prioritising proven measures to prevent conflicts between bears and humans. The brown bear plays a key role in the Carpathian ecosystem. It is also strictly protected under the EU Habitats Directive, which prohibits the deliberate killing of individuals in the wild, with exceptions allowed only under very strict conditions.
Source: SME
