Romania implements new laws doubling brown bear management quotas

New legislation in Romania regarding brown bear population management is set to take effect, doubling national prevention and intervention quotas. The law follows five months of legislative and constitutional procedures and aims to prioritize citizen safety.

In Covasna County, officials noted that meeting the annual prevention quota of 86 bears has become nearly impossible due to delays in the law's implementation. Nationally, the 2026 quotas are set at 859 for prevention and 110 for intervention. Genetic studies estimate the Romanian brown bear population between 10,500 and 13,000, significantly higher than the Ministry of Environment's optimal level of approximately 4,000.

In Buzău County, the legislative changes have already led to a significant increase in bear removals. So far this year, 13 bears have been eliminated under emergency intervention orders, compared to only two in the previous year. This increase follows a rise in emergency calls regarding bear presence. The new rules allow local commissions to approve the immediate shooting of bears if they become aggressive, removing previous requirements for gradual relocation efforts.