RO Govt. project: Funding for electric fences to deter bears, wolves

The Environment Ministry plans to offer funding for electric fences to residents in localities where incidents or damages caused by large carnivores, especially brown bears or wolves, were repeatedly reported.

The funding is part of a program, recently put up for public debate, aimed at preventing the incidents involving large carnivores.

The funding will cover the kits of electric fences that can be set up around households, sheepfolds or crops, the Environment Ministry said in a press release.

“We are the country with the largest population of bears in Europe. On the one hand, there is rich biodiversity; on the other, a great responsibility for people’s safety. Our program covers this double responsibility: preserving the species and the cohabitation without incidents between people and large carnivores. We will cover 100% of the costs of these systems for the population in counties where incidents or damages produced by wild animals were recorded,” Costel Alexe, the environment minister, said.

People can receive up to RON 2,000 (some EUR 412) to set up electric fences.

The program targets Alba, Argeș, Arad, Bacău, Bihor, Bistrița-Năsăud, Brașov, Buzău, Cluj, Caraș-Severin, Covasna, Dâmbovița, Gorj, Hunedoara, Harghita, Mehedinți, Maramureș, Mureș, Neamț, Prahova, Sibiu, Sălaj, Suceava, Timiș, Vâlcea, and Vrancea counties.

“The program we are starting this year will be multiannual. In 2020, we invest RON 1.5 million (EUR 309,278) so that species are protected, and people and their goods safe,” Alexe said.

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