Slovakia: Culled Brown Bears Can Be Eaten

Brown bears are a protected species in the EU, but one of its member states may soon allow the consumption of their meat. The BBC reports Slovakia's cabinet in April gave the green light to a plan to cull about a quarter of the 1,300 brown bears there due to some violent encounters with humans; it is behind only Romania when it comes to the tally of bear attacks. Now, the country says that to cut down on waste it intends to let the resulting meat be sold. "We will release every shot animal that meets certain conditions for consumption. Why? Because bear meat is edible," said State Minister Filip Kuffa.

There are critics aplenty, including Greenpeace Slovakia, which characterized the culling plan as "completely reckless." It came about after a man was killed while in a forest in Central Slovakia. Prime Minister Robert Fico responded with this: "We can't live in a country where people are afraid to go into the woods." The BBC notes while bear meat isn't commonly consumed in the EU, the meat that is sold there must first be tested for Trichinella larvae, which can survive if the meat isn't cooked to high enough temps and cause trichinosis; a 2023 outbreak of the disease in North Carolina was linked to undercooked bear meat. (A 2022 family gathering saw an outbreak because of undercooked bear meat.)