Management and Action Plan For
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1 MANAGEMENT AND ACTION PLAN FOR THE BEAR POPULATION IN ROMANIA The goal: To maintain, in coexistence with people, viable populations of large carnivores as an integral part of ecosystems and landscapes across Carpathians 2 Table of Contents Introduction...............................................................................................................................5 Part I – The General Overview.................................................................................................8 1. THE PURPOSE OF THE PLAN ...........................................................................................8 2. BACKGROUND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN ..............................................8 3. LEGAL PROVISIONS CONCERNING BEAR MANAGEMENT .........................................10 3.1. International Legal Provisions ................................................................................10 3.2. National legislation on the protection and conservation of the brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) .............................................................................................11 3.2.1. Management Plan Elaboration Framework and Public Participation.......13 Part II – The Situation in Romania .........................................................................................14 4. INFORMATION FOR UNDERSTANDING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN............14 4.1. Bear Status and Distribution ..................................................................................14 4.1.1. Historic and current distribution worldwide ..............................................14 4.1.2. Status and distribution in Europe.............................................................15 4.1.3. Status and distribution in Romania ..........................................................15 4.2. Bear biology............................................................................................................17 4.2.1. Description...............................................................................................18 4.2.2. Food.........................................................................................................19 4.2.3. Reproduction ...........................................................................................11 4.2.4. Hibernation ..............................................................................................22 4.2.5. Activity and home range ..........................................................................22 4.2.6. Social organization and dispersal ............................................................23 4.2.7. Habitat requirements ...............................................................................24 4.2.8. Diseases..................................................................................................25 4.3. Findings of scientific research in Romania .............................................................25 4.3.1. Research .................................................................................................25 4.3.2. Collaborative framework for research......................................................30 4.4. Natural characteristics of bear habitats in Romania ...............................................30 4.5. Bears and Humans.................................................................................................34 4.5.1. Public Attitudes towards Bears and Bear Management in Romania .......................................................34 4.5.2. Damage Caused by Bears and Bear Attacks on Humans.......................35 4.6. Current Management..............................................................................................37 4.7. Number of bears zoning and capacity of the habitats ............................................39 4.8. Trends and Reproductive Increase ........................................................................48 4.9. Infrastructure and other human impacts.................................................................48 4.9.1. Roads ......................................................................................................48 4.9.2 Motorways ................................................................................................49 4.9.3 Railway Lines............................................................................................50 4.9.4. Garbage...................................................................................................50 Part III – Bear Management ...................................................................................................51 5. GOALS...............................................................................................................................51 6. DESIRABLE NUMBERS (CAPACITY)...............................................................................53 6.1. Capacity..................................................................................................................53 3 7. MONITORING AND ANALYSIS OF MORTALITY ............................................................53 8. ACTIONS DIRECTLY AFFECTING THE POPULATION...................................................58 8.1. Hunting ...................................................................................................................58 8.1.1. Hunting season........................................................................................58 8.1.2. Cull quota.................................................................................................58 8.1.2.1. Quota distribution and hunting rights .....................................58 8.1.3. Hunting methods......................................................................................58 8.2. Supplemental feeding.............................................................................................59 8.2.1. Time of supplemental feeding..................................................................59 8.2.2. Supplemental feeding sites......................................................................59 8.2.3. Types of food...........................................................................................59 9. CONSERVATION OF THE HABITAT ................................................................................60 9.1. Measures for habitat conservation .........................................................................61 9.1.1. Identification.............................................................................................61 9.1.2. Transportation infrastructure....................................................................61 9.1.3. Conservation and improvement of forest ecosystems.............................61 9.1.4. Agricultural development .........................................................................61 9.1.5. Sport and tourist facilities and activities...................................................62 9.2. Garbage..................................................................................................................62 10. PROBLEM BEARS...........................................................................................................62 10.1. Habituated bears ..................................................................................................63 10.2 Orchards................................................................................................................63 10.3. Livestock...............................................................................................................64 10.4. Bears – human encounters ..................................................................................65 11. BEARS AND TOURISM ...................................................................................................67 11.1. Bears in the wild ...................................................................................................68 11.2. Bears in captivity ..................................................................................................69 12. MINIMIZING AND COMPENSATING DAMAGE..............................................................69 12.1. Minimizing damage...............................................................................................69 12.1.1. Measures to be undertaken by hunting unit leaseholders and other bear managers....................................................................69 12.1.2. Measures to be undertaken by the land users.......................................70 12.1.3. Other measures .....................................................................................70 12.2. Compensation of damages...................................................................................70 13. PUBLIC INFORMATION AND PARTICIPATION IN DECISION-MAKING.......................70 14. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION .................................................................................72 15. INTERVENTION GROUPS ..............................................................................................73 16. FUNDING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN...............................................73 16.1. Domestic sources.................................................................................................73 16.2. Foreign sources....................................................................................................74 17. IMPLEMENTATION AND REVISIONS OF THE PLAN....................................................74