Ministry of Environment: We hope to double, even triple fines for feeding bears by individuals

Fines for feeding bears by individuals could be doubled or even tripled from the current level, which is somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 RON, according to a the secretary of state of the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests (MMAP), Robert Szep. "We are working on a piece of legislation to limiting and drastically sanctioning the feeding of bears by unauthorized people near localities. We will increase the quantum of fines for abandoning waste and we will carry out more rigorous controls regarding the abandonment of waste around localities," Szep said, during a press briefing at the Government. The MMAP official also mentioned that through a 10 million euro project, the Romanian bear population will be evaluated through the genetic fingerprint method, and the first results could appear early next year. The Romanian Government approved during Wednesday's sitting, at the proposal of the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests, an emergency ordinance regarding the approval of intervention methods for the brown bear species. According to a press release sent by the MMAP, the piece of legislation regulates the way of immediate intervention for preventing and combating brown bear attacks (Ursus arctos) on citizens and their belongings, in the built-up areas of localities, through repelling / capturing / relocating or extraction via shooting or euthanasia. The main goal of the Ordinance is to protect essential values: the life and corporal integrity of the person, health and public safety, goods of any kind, near public and private property of legal persons and individuals.AGERPRES(RO - author: Daniel Badea, editor: Andreea Marinescu; EN - author: Catalin Cristian Trandafir, editor: Maria Voican)