Officials have granted hunters in Sweden just under 500 licenses to hunt and kill brown bears in Sweden's annual hunt of the critters.
The hunt, which begins today, has drawn criticism and concern from conservationists. According to the Guardian, the licenses handed out equated to roughly 20% of the entire population of Sweden's brown bears. If all tags are filled, the population of bears would come down to around 2,000 total. That number would indicate a 40% decrease since 2008.
Conservationists are concerned with such a high number of tags being handed out for the hunt. According to the concerned, large predator populations across Europe "could face collapse" without the proper supervision.
Magnus Orrebrant, chair of the Swedish Carnivore Association, called the hunt a purely "trophy" endeavor. Moreover, Orrebrant continued to say that Sweden's management of wildlife is "about killing animals" rather than making an effort to "preserve" anything.
Notably, brown bears were hunted nearly to extinction in the 1920s. With focussed management, the country was able to grow its population to its peak in 2008, at roughly 3,300 bears. In the last five years, more and more bears have been killed in the annual hunt. Now, concerns are growing about the quality of such a choice. Especially after last year, when a record 722 tags were filled during the hunt.
Bear Hunt in Sweden Draws Criticism from Concerned Conservationists
Anders Nilsson, a hunter in Norrland, also expressed concern regarding the number of bears being hunted. Not only are the bears being killed, but with less predators, entire ecosystems will suffer from an imbalance as a result of their absence.
Likewise, researchers have pointed to the faltering moose population in Sweden as an example of the Swedish government's incompetence regarding wildlife management. Since the end of last century, the moose population in Sweden has declined by a massive 60%.
When considering how much more is now understood about wildlife management, such a number is shocking. Too often are governments quick to take control of issues that are much more complex than any law or congressional hearing can get right. In the case of Sweden's brown bears, balance is necessary to find, and let's hope they do.
