Djuro HuberDjuro HuberTrento, 02 April 2014Trento, 02 April 2014

"Research, status and management of "Research, status and management of brown bears in Europe:brown bears in Europe:coping in human dominated landscape"coping in human dominated landscape"

Brown bearBrown bear in Europein EuropeUrsus arctos

Populations Populations fromfrom CRITICALLY CRITICALLY DANGERED DANGERED totoLEAST CONCERNLEAST CONCERNAssessed:1996, 2006

Brown Bear Red-listing in Europe: 10 populations doing fine with 500 million people

500 million people(decreasing)Massiveinfrastucture

Carpathian

Scandinavian Karelian

Baltic

CantabrianPyrenean

Alpine

Appenine

Dinaric- Pindos

East Balkan

24 thousand bears (increasing)17 thousand with no Russia (west of 35°E), Belarus and Ukraine

•Petra Kaczensky, Guillaume Chapron, Manuela von Arx,

Djuro Huber, Henrik Andrén, and John Linnell (Editors)

Status, management and distribution of large carnivores – bear, lynx, wolf & wolverine – in Europe (March 2013)

Population size and trend Name Last size estimate 2005 Most recent size Trend

2006-2011

Scandinavia Norway: 46 Sweden: 2350-2900

TOTAL: 2600Norway: 105+ Sweden: 3300TOTAL: 3405

Increase

Karelian (including Russia west of 35°E)

Norway: 23, Finland:810-860 (850)

Norway: 46 Finland: 1900 (1700)

Increase

Baltic (not Belarus and Russia)

Estonia: 515. Latvia:10(525)

Estonia: 700, Latvia: 12(710)

Increase

Carpathian (not Ukraine) Romania: 6700, Poland: 117Serbia North: ?, Slovakia: 700-900

TOTAL:7600

Romania: 6000. Poland: 147Serbia North: 8, Slovakia: 1370

TOTAL: 7520

Stable

Dinaric-Pindos Slovenia: 300, Croatia: 600-1000Bosnia & Herzegovina: 438. FYRM 180,

Montenegro: ~100 , Albania: 250, Serbia: 50-80, Greece: 190-260

TOTAL: 2800

Slovenia: 450, Croatia: 1000Bosnia & Herzegovina: 550Montenegro: 270, F YRM 180, Albania:

180, Serbia: 60, Greece: 350

TOTAL: 3040

Increase

Alpine Italy: 29, Switzerland: 0), Austria: 2-20, Slovenia: 5-10

TOTAL: 35-40

Italia : 47, Switzerland: 1Austria: ~5, Slovenia: 5-10TOTAL: 45-55

Stable

Eastern Balkans Bulgaria: 700, Greece:30, Serbia: few

TOTAL: 720Bulgaria: 550, Greece: 50, Serbia: TOTAL: ~600

Stable or decrease?

Abruzzo (Appenine) TOTAL: 40-80 TOTAL: 40 Stable

Cantabrian TOTAL: ~100 TOTAL: 200 Increase

Pyrenean TOTAL: 14-18 Spain: 25, France: 19TOTAL: 25

Increase

Threat assessment relevant for bears over all populations in

Europe HABITAT

MANAGEMENT

Connectivity with other populations

(and within each population)

Alpine

†

†

Research: genetic, signs, telemetryManagement: strictly protected

Dinara-Pindos

SloveniaCroatia

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Serbia

Montenegro

Albania

Macedonia

Greece

440ProtectedStablePlan

1000QuotaIncreasingPlan

550Stable?No plan

60Increase?(Plan) 270

IncreaseNo plan

190DecreasingNo plan 180

Stable’No plan

300StablePlan

±

Research: Genetic, counts, telemetry / or NONE!Management: Very various!

East Balkan

Rila-Rhodope

Stara Planina

±

Research: Genetic, counts, telemetry (small scale)Management: Strictly protected, small quota!

Central Appenine(Abruzzo)

Research: Genetic, counts, telemetry Management: Strictly protected

Baltic

Research: Genetic, hunter’s countsManagement: Protected

KarelianResearch: Genetic, countsManagement: Quota hunting

ScandinavianResearch: Intensive telemetry, GeneticManagement: Quota hunting

?

Research: Hunter’s countsManagement: Quota in Romania and Slovakia

Cantabria

PyreneesResearch: Genetic, counts femalesManagement: Strictly protected

Research: Genetic, countsManagement: Strictly protected

Damage compensationsCosts per bear / year (higher in smaller populations )

• 12.666 € in Norway• 6114 € in the Pyrenees• 3445 € in Abruzzo• 1605€ in the Cantabrian Mountains• 1371 € in the Italian Alps• 555 € in Slovenia• 511 € in Greece• 102 € in Poland• 45 € in Bulgaria• 15 € in Estonia& Latvia• 8 € in Slovakia• 6.0 € in Croatia• 3.6 € in Sweden

POPULATION IUCN assessment:

Scandinavia LCKarelian (in connection with Russia west of 35°E) LCBaltic (in connection with the European Russia) LCCarpathian NTDinaric-Pindos VUAlps CEEastern Balkans VUCentral Apennine CECantabrian CEPyrenean CE

Bears and people in Croatia

Improving coexistence of large carnivores and agriculture in S. Europe

Djuro Huber

Large carnivore

action plans5 species

Guidelines for PopulationLevel Management Plansfor Large Carnivores

Brief history • In 1950s there were <100 bears

• Hunting started in 1960s

• There are 1000 bears now

To continue with trophy hunting of the species that is on- Red lists Bern Convention - CITES

THE MAIN CHALENGE

ANDto maintain positive attitude of people

• 1. Habitat preservation• 2. Complying with international legislation• 3. Avoidance of risks for humans and their property.• 4. Determination and maintenance of desired bear population size• 5. Economic benefit for local residents through tourism and hunting• 6. Raising of public awareness and sharing management decisions with interest groups. i

CROATIAN BEAR MANAGEMANT PLAN- GOAL -

Maintenance of stable brown bear population in Croatiaat the level that secure the long term survival and coexistence with man.

SPECIFIC GOALS:

Biologically possiblePOPULATION SIZE

The expected density in Croatia could be 10 individual / 100 km2 and locally up to 20/100 km2

Possible capacity is about 1100 individuals.

Desirable population size is provisionally set at 900 individuals.

Social (desirable)CAPACITY

Vjerovanja o medvjedima - štete

Medvjedi nanose velike štete na usjevima i voćnjacima.

Vjerovanja o medvjedima - turizam

Postojanje medvjeda u našoj županiji povoljno utječe na turizam.

Gospodarenje medvjedima - lov

U Hrvatskoj treba dozvoliti kontrolirani lov na medvjede.

ACTIONS1. Monitoring

► POPULATION SIZE AND TREND

► MORTALITY

DNA

Radiotelemetry

Since 1981: 41 radio tracked bears

2. Hunting• Hunting season: 1 Mar - 15 May & 1 Oct - 15 Dec

• Quota: (5) 10 (15) % of estimated population • Hunting methods: from hunting stand next to a feeding

site

3. Supplemental feeding With food of plant or animal origin

2. Hunting

Year Hunting Other losses Total

  Plan Realized

Expected

Occurred

 

2005. 8031

(39%)20

21 (105%)

52 (52%)

2006. 7049

(70%)30

36 (120%)

85 (85%)

2007. 7050

(71%)30 8 (27%) 58 (58%)

2008. 7064

(91%)30

47 (156%)

111 (111%)

2009. 10086

(86%)40

24 (60%)

110 (79%)

2010. 10086

(86%)40

33 (82%)

119 (85%)

2011. 10070

(70%)40

14 (35%)

84 (60%)

Total 590436

(74%)230

183 (80%)

619 (75%)

- Quota: (5) 10 (15) % of estimated population - Hunting methods: from hunting stand next to a feeding site - Hunting season: 1 March - 15 May & 16 Sep - 15 Dec

4. Conservation of the habitat

Effect on bear population should be evaluated for each development plan:

TransportationForestryAgricultureSport and tourism

Ivačeno brdoRasnica

Rošca

Varošina

Osmakovac

Lendići

Konšćica

Vrankovića ograda Srednja gora

Medina gora

Implementation of measures

5. Garbage

6. Problem bears

7. Bears and tourism

8. Minimizing and compensating damage

Problem of LC damagesPrevention

Lethal control Compensation

9. Public information and participation

«Bear friendly» logo on local products

10. Bear emergency team

It is important to demonstrate to local people that all unusualevents around bears, and especially when there is a problem situation, they are not left alone.Expert team will work according to the predefined protocoland will have proper skills and equipment.

11. Internationalcooperation

Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

12. Revisions of the plan

Action plan – new each yearManagement plan- periodically

Arguments why the current system is functioning

• 1. Bears have been hunted as game in Croatia since 1960s and the population grew from less that 100 to over 1000.

• 2. Estimated population gowth rate is 4.8%.• 3. Currently all those bears (1000) together produce in

average cost of 6000 EUR of damages per year. That is incomparably less than any other carnivore in any country that does pay the damages.

• 4. Trophy hunting of bears provides substantial income to local hunting units and makes them interested to maintain the good population.

• 5. Public attitude towards bears is very positive. It has been seriously surveyed in 2002 and 2008.

• 6. There is very little poaching.• 7. We have functioning continuous population monitoring,

Bear management plan, yearly Action plans, functioning Bear management committee, and functioning Bear emergency team.

• 8. Bears have value!

THANKS!