f 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 the 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 of bears in Romania ..........................................................................14 4. INFORMATION FOR 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..........................................................................................................19 4.2.1. Description .............................................................................................19 4.2.2. Food.......................................................................................................20 4.2.3. Reproduction..........................................................................................21 4.2.4. Hibernation.............................................................................................22 4.2.5. Activity and home range.........................................................................23 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. 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. Railroads................................................................................................50 4.9.4. Garbage .................................................................................................50 Part III – Bear Management..................................................................................................51 5. GOALS.............................................................................................................................51 6. DESIRABLE NUMBERS (CARRYING 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 .................................................................................................66 11.1. Bears in the wild .................................................................................................68 11.2. Bears in captivity.................................................................................................68 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 ......................................69 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 ............................................................................................72 16. FUNDING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN..............................................73 16.1. Domestic sources ...............................................................................................73 16.2. Foreign sources..................................................................................................73 17. IMPLEMENTATION AND REVISIONS OF THE PLAN...................................................73 Literature..............................................................................................................................77