The Institute's clarification
Regarding the matter of thebear M90 in Val di Sole (TN) and the decision taken by the Province of Trento, ISPRA clarifies the following. On issues related to the management of confident or dangerous bears in the Province of Trento, the Institute is called upon to express opinions on the coherence of the interventions proposed by the Autonomous Province of Trento, in light of the case studies envisaged by PACOBACE (Interregional Action Plan for the Conservation of the brown bear in the central-eastern Alps), the reference document that establishes the protocol for intervention on bears, formally adopted by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, by ISPRA and by all the Regions and autonomous Provinces of the Central Alps Orientals.
The theme of demolition
More specifically, ISPRA evaluates on a case-by-case basis the behaviors shown by bear individuals on the basis of the cases envisaged by PACOBACE and verifies whether the interventions proposed by the Province of Trento are among those envisaged in the same Plan. In the case of M90, ISPRA, in light of the data provided by the Province of Trento, has ascertained three problematic behaviors (contemplated in PACOBACE), namely Categories 10, 12, 13 and 16 (as per the table below). Which final action to adopt among those envisaged by PACOBACE is not a decision that falls to ISPRA, but is solely the responsibility of the Provincial Administration of Trento and its Bodies, as established by the Provincial Law of Trento n. 9/2018 and taking into account article 59 of the subsequent provincial law n. 9/2023.
The intervention options
PACOBACE orders the categories of behavior on a scale of increasing dangerousness and clarifies the need to take into account - when evaluating the dangerousness of the individual - also the sequentiality and repetition of behaviors. These aspects were analyzed in the opinion issued by ISPRA, considering them to be an indication of potential danger. According to PACOBACE, three intervention options are established for categories ranging from 13 to 18:
i) capture with release for the purpose of movement and/or radio tagging;
j) capture by permanent captivity;
k) abatement.
In addition to carrying out the checks summarized above, the Institute recommended the adoption of urgent measures for the safety of bins containing waste, the so-called "anti-bear bins", in order to ensure the complete exclusion of access to these sources. of food by the bears and avoid the development of trusting behaviors (source: ISPRA).