Will the bear dump cause less conflict?

In four Slovenian municipalities, Brezovica, Črnomelj, Loški Potok and Sodražica, between June and July, medvedovarne smetnjaki were installed with the aim of reducing access to waste by bears and thus lowering the risk of conflicts between humans and brown bears. The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning has announced plans to expand this measure following successful pilot implementation and is considering legislative regulation of the initiative. The project, developed through collaboration between the ministry, the Slovenian Forest Agency, local municipalities and municipal companies, was presented today in Rakitna. Director of the Slovenian Forest Agency, Gregor Danev, explained that after last year’s conflicts between bears and people in Rakitna, they conducted an analysis of conflict situations and waste collection systems, which led to the decision on locations for installing bear-proof bins. The ministry has allocated 100,000 euros in targeted investment funds, while the municipalities have arranged the necessary infrastructure for their installation. He emphasized that this is just one of several measures for managing the bear population, meaning further solutions will need to be developed for areas with different waste collection systems. On the Rakitna area, 47 new bear-proof bins were installed as part of the project, bringing the total number to 74. Mayor of Brezovica, Metod Ropret, stated that residents of Rakitna had become accustomed to coexistence with bears, but “the destruction of bears in the village center and searching for bins” was no longer part of everyday life, hence the necessity of taking action. The municipality allocated approximately 25,000 euros for land preparation, substructures and accessible paths. Mayors of Črnomelj and Sodražica, Andrej Kavšek and Blaž Milavec, respectively, noted that initial experiences with the bear-proof bins have been positive. In Črnomelj, expansion of the project is planned, while in Sodražica, they consider preventive measures essential, though long-term coexistence requires appropriate population management. Director of the Department for Environment, Nature and Climate at the Ministry, Tanja Bolte, highlighted that management of large predator populations relies on monitoring, cooperation with stakeholders, preventive measures, compensation system and public awareness. She described the bear-proof bins as a concrete preventive measure, since they reduce accessibility to communal waste and thereby attract bears into settlements. “This measure contributes to the safety of people and the conservation of bears,” she emphasized. Following the successful pilot introduction, the ministry intends to examine possibilities for legal regulation of the measure and clearly define responsibilities of the state, municipalities and municipal services regarding funding, maintenance and supervision of bear-proof bins. General Director of the Department for Forestry and Hunting at the Ministry of Agriculture, Simon Resman, stressed that the brown bear remains the main cause of damage among large predators, especially in livestock farming and beekeeping. “The primary goal in managing this species must be greater safety for people and protection of property in rural areas,” he said. According to him, bear-proof bins not only reduce damage but primarily prevent the emergence of conflicts, as bears are denied access to easily accessible food sources. When asked about the population size of the bear population, Danev responded that official data for this year are still unavailable, but unofficial estimates suggest between 1,100 and 1,200 bears. Under the current management plan for the brown bear population, a favorable status is considered to be between 620 and 800 individuals. He added that the Slovenian Forest Agency will start preparing a new expert opinion in September, which will serve as the basis for a decision on the removal of bears in 2027. This follows a recent court decision allowing continued implementation of the decision on the removal of the brown bear from nature, to which the agricultural minister Janez Cigler Kralj also called for timely preparation.