State of Emergency to Be Declared due to Presence of Brown Bears

Bratislava, May 21 ((TASR) - The House approved on Tuesday an amendment to the law on nature protection, addressing the situation regarding excessive populations of bears.
        Parliament decided via fast-track legislative proceedings.
In line with the draft amendment, a state of emergency can be declared in connection with the presence of brown bears in a similar manner as in the case of an earthquake or terrorist attack. When such an emergency is declared, it should be prohibited to create bait sites that could attract bears.
At the same time, municipalities will be obliged to remove already existing bait sites in areas in which a state of emergency has been declared. If bait sites aren't the cause of the presence of bears, the amendment allows exemptions for eliminating problematic individual animals that represent a potential threat to the lives or health of people and damage to their property.