Meat bear will be available for sale, after government at Slovakia. For State Slaughterhouses, “Animal and Environmental Organizations speak.
The Non -Governmental Organization ‘We are a forest“(” We are the Forest “) criticized the government’s decision in Slovakia on Wednesday (28.05.2025) to approve the mood in the market of bear meat, denouncing the” state slaughterhouse “that offers meat of protected animals and encouraging poaching.
Environment Minister Philip Koufa of the SNS far -right party says in a Facebook post that the state has decided to approve the mood for sale of meat from bears killed by, “Because bear meat is edible».
A ‘irrational’ decision according to the NGO “We are a forest“, Which emphasizes that the ministry that is supposed to ensure the protection of endangered species cannot be” transformed “into a commercial slaughterhouse.
Last month, the government coalition in Slovakia lit the “green light” for the killing of 350 bears – out of the about 1,300 living in this country of Central Europe – due to the increased number of attacks on humans.
“We cannot live in a country in which citizens will be afraid to go to the forest,” said Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fitso.
They are permitted only in cases of attacks (eg causing damage to property) and only if there is no alternative, such as the relocation of the wild animal.
According to environmental organizations, in 2024 Slovakia killed 92 bears and another 52 were killed in traffic accidents or by poachers.
Brown bears are considered a protected species in Europe, but there are exceptions for hunting, while Slovenia also allows their meat to be consumed.
The Slovak government has pledged that certification will be required to prove that the animal was hunted in accordance with the provisions of applicable law. Bear meat should also be processed in accordance with health rules.