Working Group to Address Situation with Brown Bear

Bratislava, June 23 (TASR) - A working group is to be set up by July 31 to address the situation with the bear; it should be composed of experts in the field of nature protection, forestry, agriculture, local government representatives and the parliamentary agriculture and environment committee, according to a committee's resolution, which recommended this to the Environment Ministry on Thursday. According to the committee, the Environment Ministry, together with the Agriculture Ministry should implement effective measures without delay to protect the population in connection with the presence of bears near settlements. The House committee also recommended that the Environment Ministry should update the Brown Bear Care Programme in Slovakia on the basis of scientific data and the knowledge of experts from practice. In particular, the definition of the favourable conditions for the bear in the country should be amended. The ministry is due to do so by the end of this year. am/mcs