December
26, 2018
A protest
by shepherds in Pau, southwest France, this year against the reintroduction of
bears in the Pyrenees mountains
The
release of additional bears into the Pyrenees mountains straddling France and
Spain is needed to ensure the fledgling population's survival, the activist
group charged with the bears' protection said Wednesday.
"The good news of
2018 is without doubt the release of two bears in the Bearn region in
October," the Ferus association said, referring to the border region.
"But
there's still a long road ahead of us," it added.
Government
officials have pushed ahead with plans to reintroduce brown bears in
a bid to boost biodiversity, despite fierce resistance by sheep and other
livestock producers.
Around 40
bears currently roam the mountains since France began importing them from
Slovenia in 1996, with Ferus hoping the two newest, Claverina and Sorita, will
have cubs sometime next year.
Environmental
activists say they are crucial for maintaining a fragile ecosystem threatened
by human activity and climate change.
Some
farmers, however, have vowed to shoot the bears on sight, saying they are
decimating flocks, which now require costly protection from the predators.
Claims by
farmers for government compensation have soared, rising by 70 percent this year
to 448 cases in the single French department of Ariege, where opposition to the
bears has been particularly intense.
"Complete
security for the bears is far from assured because of an anti-bear minority
which remains violent," Ferus said.
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