8 December 2007 / TODAY’S ZAMAN WITH WIRES, ADANA
An expert from the Nature Association, Emre Can, has opposed the lifting of a seven-year ban on the hunting of bears, arguing that it would do nothing to solve the problems caused by aggressive or violent bears.
Can told the Anatolia news agency on Friday that the increasing number of complaints about bears, which are estimated to have a population of around 3,500 in Turkey, does not necessarily mean that their population has also risen. He also argued that, despite the ban, people in some parts of Turkey have continued hunting the bears. This illegal hunting has been decreasing the bear population, he said.Saying that it is usually young male bears or female bears with cubs that cause the damage, Can added that people usually only hunt adult male bears. He also said: “The male bears that are killed will be replaced by females or young male bears. … Hence hunting wouldn’t help this situation. This [lifting of the ban] should be cancelled.”
Can went on to say that the Nature Association has been working on solutions for problems caused by bears for eight years. “With the support of the Environment and Forestry Ministry, people should develop methods to protect their property instead of killing the bears. They may ring hives with low-voltage electrical fences, for instance,” he emphasized.
