Japan’s Environment Ministry plans to assign bear experts to five of its offices in central to northern Japan next fiscal year to advise local officials on ways to prevent damages caused by the animal.
The step comes as a record 219 people were attacked by bears in the country during the last fiscal year to March.
The ministry plans to place officials specializing in measures to deal with bears to the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto and Chubu regional environment offices, as well as the Kushiro nature conservation office in Hokkaido.
The experts are expected to give advice to local government and police officials on what actions to take when bears appear in human habitats, among other steps.
Ministry officials also aim to increase subsidies to local governments. The funds are to be used to help set up fences to bar bears from human communities, as well as to remove acorns and other food for bears. They will also be used to draw up manuals on how to deal with bears when they are spotted.
In April, the ministry designated bears as what is called a wildlife species for control in all regions except for Shikoku. The designation allows the government to financially support efforts to capture or conduct research on bears.
The ministry is seeking 3 billion yen, or about 20 million dollars, in the fiscal 2025 budget for measures to cope with designated wild animals, including Japanese deer and wild boars.