Japan LDP Proposes Measures against Bear Attacks

Tokyo, Nov. 12 (Jiji Press)–A project team of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Wednesday compiled an urgent proposal for measures to address bear attacks. The measures include the employment of people with hunting licenses as “government hunters,” training of former Self-Defense Forces and police members to deal with the bear problem and the procurement of electric fences, traps and other necessary goods. The task force proposed that the central government provide local governments with financial support to cover costs for such measures. Also proposed were further efforts to spread information about the so-called emergency hunting system, which allows hunters to fire guns in city areas based on a local government judgment. The LDP plans to submit the proposal to Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara on Thursday. The government aims to adopt urgent measures by mid-November. As measures that should be covered by the financial aid, the party’s team also listed handling captured bears, removing fruit trees and developing and maintaining areas that can serve as buffer zones between the bear habitats and human residential areas. Regarding the proposed government hunters, the project team said that the central government should consider details including the employment system and work environment for them. The team also said that the central government should give technical support to help local governments create manuals for emergency bear hunting, a system that started in September. Other proposed measures include bear population management and an improvement in information dissemination to residents. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]