Ministry releases guidelines for shooting bears in urban areas
Ministry officials have declared open hunting season on bears that have strayed into urban areas and pose a threat to residents.
However, the shoot-to-kill order with hunting rifles, which will take effect in autumn, will be at the discretion of municipal mayors.
The Environment Ministry on July 8 released guidelines that describe the circumstances in which shooting wild animals, such as a brown bear, a black bear and a wild boar, will be justified.
The ministry held explanatory meetings for municipal government officials ahead of autumn, the high season of bear sightings.
It has been prohibited, in principle, to use hunting guns in urban areas except in limited circumstances, including on the order of a police officer on the grounds that human lives are in danger.
It has also been legally difficult, when a bear has holed up in a building and in other similar situations, to take immediate lethal action with rifles as long as humans are not under attack.
The Law on the Protection and Management of Wildlife, and the Optimization of Hunting was revised in April to authorize the use of guns in urban areas at the discretion of municipal mayors starting Sept. 1.
The authorization, however, is contingent on prerequisites, including the elimination of the risks ahead of shooting.
The guidelines designate the specifics, for municipal officials, including on advance preparations, such as cooperation with hunters, and on how safety should be ensured when a bear is present.
The document says measures should be taken to ensure that no humans will be hit by stray bullets.
That includes closing surrounding areas to traffic, evacuating the residents and checking on requirements, such as the presence of a backstop barrier for catching stray rounds behind the bear.
The guidelines also illustrate what actions should be taken in specific cases, such as a bear on a riverbed or in a supermarket.
Environment Ministry officials said they are planning to organize on-site training sessions by the end of the current fiscal year in March.
NUANCED VIEWS
Bears have often been sighted in residential areas. They have been spotted in houses, in schools, at an airport and elsewhere during the latest days and months alone.
People on the front lines of the campaign expressed mixed and nuanced views on the matter.
Atsushi Horie, head of the Hokkaido hunters' association, welcomed the change in the law, but with reservations.
'It will be meaningful for allowing prompt reaction to be taken in urban areas,' he said. 'But there are lingering concerns that hunters could still be held responsible for the shots they have fired.'
The Hokkaido hunters' association has held many discussions with police on the safety and wisdom of firing rifles in urban areas. Horie said he feels the question of responsibility for injuring bystanders has, however, been left unresolved.
'Hunters are pitching in only as volunteers after all, even though some of them could end up being killed,' Horie said. 'Others could end up subjected to punishment or with criminal records, even though they have risked their lives in the front-line work. I hope there will be advance talks between municipal authorities, police and hunting clubs so we can fire our guns without anxiety.'
The discretion of municipal governments will henceforth be playing a key role in deciding whether lethal action needs to be taken.
One official with the Sapporo municipal government said the amended regulation will likely make it easier to take action in certain cases, such as when a bear has holed up in a private residence.
There are, however, lingering concerns about how to notify citizens promptly and ensure their safety when, for example, there is a bear on the move and the situation keeps changing, the official added.
'Nothing is ever simple,' the Sapporo official said. 'There is need for the utmost care if we are to have bears gunned down on the instruction of our municipal government.'
(This article was written by Nami Sugiura and Koki Furuhata.)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Diplomat
13 hours ago
- The Diplomat
Thailand Approves Plan to Hire Sri Lankan Migrant Workers Amid Cambodian Exodus
The Cambodian government estimates that 400,000 migrant workers have returned home since the outbreak of conflict between the two countries last month. Thailand's cabinet has approved the hiring of 10,000 Sri Lankan workers to fill a labor shortage caused by an exodus of Cambodian workers due to the two countries' ongoing border dispute. Speaking to reporters yesterday, Thai Labor Minister Pongkawin Jungrungruangkit said that more than 30,000 workers from Sri Lanka had already registered for the scheme, and that 10,000 will be sent to Thailand in its first stage, the Thai Enquirer reported. 'We will bring this group of workers in, and there will also be other groups of workers from countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Nepal,' Pongkawin said. The Ministry first suggested the plan in late July, shortly after Thailand and Cambodia fought a fierce five-day battle along their disputed border late last month. The conflict killed at least 43 people and displaced more than 300,000 on both sides of the border. It also prompted tens of thousands of Cambodian migrant workers to leave Thailand, due to fears of physical attacks on Khmer-speakers. The Cambodian government has actively supported the repatriation of migrant workers, offering free transport from the border and assurances of job opportunities. It has also put a patriotic spin on the exodus, promising jobs and calling for returnees to contribute to Cambodia's economic development. 'As the job market in Cambodia continues to expand,' the government-aligned Khmer Times reported on August 6, 'returnee workers hope to inspire others to follow their lead and contribute to the country's economic growth.' Incidents of violence against Cambodians and Khmer-speakers in Thailand have also been widely circulated on social media, creating the perception that the country is not safe for Cambodians – a perception that Phnom Penh has also subtly encouraged. Some reports in the Thai press have suggested that Cambodian workers fear that they might 'lose their properties and citizenships' if they don't come home. Before the conflict began, over 520,000 Cambodians worked in Thailand, accounting for 12 percent of the country's foreign workforce, according to official data cited by Reuters – but the real number may be considerably higher. One Thai source puts the number at 1.5 million. About 400,000 Cambodian laborers have returned since the beginning of the conflict, according to the Cambodian government, and hundreds reportedly continue to trickle across the border each day. While Thai border authorities have facilitated the exodus, letting Cambodians pass through border gates that are otherwise closed to trade, it has created more economic headaches for the Thai government, which is currently battling a downturn in the tourism sector. Cambodian migrant laborers, like their counterparts from Myanmar and Laos, fill a crucial niche in the Thai economy, particularly in the agricultural, construction, and manufacturing sectors. In order to stem the flow, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labor granted a six-month extension to Cambodians' work permits this week, allowing them to remain in Thailand without crossing the border for renewals. It is apparent now that Thailand is willing to look further afield for workers to fill the void, something that it has historically been reluctant to do. While Thailand and Cambodia signed a ceasefire on July 28, the situation remains tense, with both governments trading daily accusations of violations of the letter and spirit of the agreement. If the current dispute persists beyond the short term, it could see a more permanent realignment in the Thai and Cambodian labor markets. It could also create social problems inside Cambodia, where labor migration has long served as a useful social safety valve for the government. The sudden arrival of large numbers of unemployed or underemployed workers could be a potential long-term source of political instability for Prime Minister Hun Manet and his Cambodian People's Party, which has otherwise benefited from a surge of patriotic support since the outbreak of the conflict with Thailand.
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Japan Today
Lakeside trails at Hokkaido World Heritage site reopen after bear attack
All trails around lakes in the Shiretoko World Natural Heritage Site in Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido fully reopened on Monday after being closed last week due to a fatal bear attack. Following the reopening on Sunday of electrified fence-lined elevated wooden paths at Shiretoko Goko Lakes, the Environment Ministry also decided to allow access to the area's ground-level paths after multiple patrols to check for signs of brown bears. Entry to Mt. Rausu, in the same Shiretoko World Natural Heritage Site, remains closed after a man in his 20s was killed when he was dragged from a mountain trail by a brown bear on Thursday. The following day, a bear and two cubs were shot dead not far from where the man's body was found. Authorities have yet to confirm whether the animals were responsible for the attack. © KYODO
The Mainichi
3 days ago
- The Mainichi
Lakeside trails at Hokkaido World Heritage site reopen after bear attack
SAPPORO (Kyodo) -- All trails around lakes in the Shiretoko World Natural Heritage Site in Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido fully reopened on Monday after being closed last week due to a fatal bear attack. Following the reopening on Sunday of electrified fence-lined elevated wooden paths at Shiretoko Goko Lakes, the Environment Ministry also decided to allow access to the area's ground-level paths after multiple patrols to check for signs of brown bears. Entry to Mt. Rausu, in the same Shiretoko World Natural Heritage Site, remains closed after a man in his 20s was killed when he was dragged from a mountain trail by a brown bear on Thursday. The following day, a bear and two cubs were shot dead not far from where the man's body was found. Authorities have yet to confirm whether the animals were responsible for the attack.
