Despite last year's massive bear cull, Japan's Ministry of the Environment has adopted a roadmap to continue reducing bear populations through 2030.
In 2026, the Japanese government allocated 6.2 billion yen for bear measures. Much of this funding supports lethal control, including expanded culling programs and emergency shooting measures.
Many bears are captured simply for approaching human settlements as a preventive measure. Relocation is extremely rare: only about 0.8% of captured bears are released back into the wild, while roughly 99.2% are killed. Even cubs are not exempt from culling.
In some regions, bears are still hunted while hibernating in their dens—a practice banned or heavily restricted in many countries.
Under the roadmap, the Ministry of the Environment aims to reduce bear populations to about 65% of their current estimated levels by 2030.
Yet the true size of Japan's bear population remains uncertain. Population estimates continue to be revised as new surveys are conducted.
The scientific basis for the 65% target has never been clearly explained to the public. Despite these uncertainties, population-reduction targets have already been set.
Wildlife management should be based on transparent science, habitat conservation, and effective coexistence measures—not predetermined population-reduction targets.
We call on Japan's Ministry of the Environment to end the bear-reduction roadmap and invest in coexistence, not culling.
Help us send a message from around the world to Japan's Ministry of the Environment:
Japan's wildlife deserves protection, not destruction.
