Complaints flood local governments with complaints about bear culling, Environment Minister Asao calls for restraint, saying it “intimidates officials and hunters”

In response to a surge of complaints from outside regions when municipalities cull bears that endanger people in populated areas, Environment Minister Asano called for restraint in excessive complaints during a press conference on the 5th. He emphasized that such complaints could discourage municipal staff and hunters, potentially leading to new accidents.

Recent incidents have highlighted the issue, including the death of an 81-year-old woman in Iwate Prefecture, who was attacked by a black bear in her home on July 4th, and the death of a 52-year-old man delivering newspapers in Fukushima, Hokkaido, on July 12th, after a brown bear attack.

Minister Asano, who heard firsthand accounts from a hunter injured during a culling operation in Akita Prefecture, praised the life-risking efforts of hunters and municipal employees. He urged the public to understand the necessity of bear control for human safety and asked for moderate reactions.

Similarly, Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki addressed ongoing complaints about bear culling in Fukushima Town, noting that many calls, including those lasting over two hours, expressed sympathy for the bears. He stressed the importance of understanding that people have lost their lives and that hunters are working under dangerous conditions.

In Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, officials published bear “capture numbers” for the first time to alleviate public concerns, although the mayor avoided doing so previously to prevent administrative disruptions caused by external calls.

Former Akita Prefecture Governor Norihisa Satake had also sparked debate last December by suggesting a blunt approach to persistent, unreasonable complaints, stating there was no need to engage with those who don’t understand and jokingly suggesting sending bears to the callers’ addresses to deter further calls.