The brown bear population management

The brown bear population management | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 7 April 2026 V1 Latest version Share on The brown bear population management Authors : Hiroyuki Matsuda 0000-0002-1768-300X [email protected] , Takashi Saitoh 0000-0003-4085-5014 , Yoshikazu Sato 0009-0005-6410-9149 , Hifumi TSURUGA 0009-0002-2493-1697 , and Tsutomu Mano 0009-0008-2035-2325 Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.177558345.57753817/v1 185 views 101 downloads Contents Abstract Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract This special feature explored the evolving relationship between humans and brown bears in Hokkaido, Japan, considering shifting wildlife management policies and global biodiversity conservation efforts. Drawing on discussions from symposia held in 2023 and 2025, the collection of articles traced the historical phases of the human-bear relationship—from reverence and utilization (HBR ver.0), to extermination (HBR ver.1), protection and population recovery (HBR ver.2), and the current call for coexistence through mutual vigilance between humans and bears (HBR ver.3). As bears reduce their fear of humans, conflicts such as agricultural damage and human injuries have increased, highlighting the need for new management strategies. A distinctive aspect of Hokkaido’s strategy is categorizing bears as either nuisance or non-nuisance, based on traditional Ainu knowledge. This categorization is made possible through the long-term monitoring of the number of nuisance bears. This approach represents a form of active adaptive management that is rarely seen in large mammal conservation. The case of Hokkaido’s brown bears illustrates a broader global challenge—how a society facing population decline and wildlife recovery can sustainably coexist with large wildlife. This requires not only ethical reflection but also practical, science-based solutions. SPECIAL FEATURE PREFACE The brown bear population management Hiroyuki Matsuda1; Takashi Saitoh2; Yoshikazu Sato3; Hifumi Tsuruga4; Tsutomu Mano4 1 Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Yokohama National University, 240-8501, Japan [email protected] 2 Field Science Center, Hokkaido University, Kita 11, Nishi 10, Sapporo 060-0811, Japan [email protected] 3 Rakuno Gakuen University, 4 Hokkaido Research Organization Abstract This special feature explored the evolving relationship between humans and brown bears in Hokkaido, Japan, considering shifting wildlife management policies and global biodiversity conservation efforts. Drawing on discussions from symposia held in 2023 and 2025, the collection of articles traced the historical phases of the human-bear relationship—from reverence and utilization (HBR ver.0), to extermination (HBR ver.1), protection and population recovery (HBR ver.2), and the current call for coexistence through mutual vigilance between humans and bears (HBR ver.3). As bears reduce their fear of humans, conflicts such as agricultural damage and human injuries have increased, highlighting the need for new management strategies. A distinctive aspect of Hokkaido’s strategy is categorizing bears as either nuisance or non-nuisance, based on traditional Ainu knowledge. This categorization is made possible through the long-term monitoring of the number of nuisance bears. This approach represents a form of active adaptive management that is rarely seen in large mammal conservation. The case of Hokkaido’s brown bears illustrates a broader global challenge—how a society facing population decline and wildlife recovery can sustainably coexist with large wildlife. This requires not only ethical reflection but also practical, science-based solutions. This special feature was created by inviting contributions from speakers at the open symposium “Considering Brown Bear Population Management,” held during the annual meeting of the Society of Population Ecology in September 2023. The discussion was further developed at “Considering Brown Bear Population Management: Part 2,” held at Rakuno Gakuen University in March 2025. Reports on these events are available on the websites listed below (http://ecorisk.web.fc2.com/2023/bears.html). During this period, the Brown Bear Management Plan underwent a mid-term revision in Hokkaido, and discussions are currently ongoing regarding the next management strategy for the Shiretoko World Heritage Site. As noted in the papers by Sato et al. (2025), Saitoh & Mano (2024) and Takafumi et al. (in review) in this feature, the treatment of brown bears in Japan has changed over time. In the pre-modern era, when indigenous Ainu communities were the primary inhabitants, bears were revered and utilized as resources—this period is referred to here as human-bear relationship version 0 (HBR ver.0). With modernization, bears came to be regarded as dangerous animals and were about to be exterminated until around 1990 (HBR ver.1 ). Since then, they have been protected across Hokkaido, designating some populations as endangered (HBR ver.2 ). As a result, the bear population has recovered and many bears are considered to have lost the wariness of humans, leading to increased agricultural damage and human injuries. We are now entering a new phase—HBR ver.3 —which demands a redefined relationship between humans and wildlife. Alongside with these domestic developments, international discussions under the Convention on Biological Diversity are shifting from pivoting on preserving pristine nature to a more inclusive view that recognizes humans as part of ecosystems. This shift emphasizes the management of ecosystems to include interspecies interactions between humans and wild animals. When bear protection policies were first implemented, many bears feared and avoided humans. Thus, even as the population began to recover, the associated damage was relatively limited and could be managed by responding to occasional individual problems. Today, however, humans no longer represent a significant threat to bears (Bombieri et al. 2019), and farmland is increasingly viewed by bears as a viable food source. In the March 2025 symposium, the need for a dual approach was emphasized: not only should humans remain cautious around bears, but bears must also be made to fear humans. In short, we are entering a new era that requires mutual behavioral change and a deeper understanding of the human-bear relationship. A unique aspect of bear management in Hokkaido is the distinction made between non-nuisance bears and nuisance bears. This classification, based on traditional Ainu knowledge, represents an epistemological framework that has shaped local management practices. Tsuruga et al. (2026) reported the long-term estimation of the number of nuisance bears since 2001. This has enabled the development of not only population control tailored to current conditions, but also adaptive measures aimed at achieving and maintaining a desirable state through active adaptive management (Matsuda et al. 2026). Although such adaptive management is widely applied in international fishery resource management, Hokkaido’s approach has a distinct emphasis on the number of nuisance bears. The challenges faced in Hokkaido are likely general. The situation with brown bears here represents a leading example of a broader global issue: how societies with declining human populations can coexist with large wildlife. We invite researchers and students from around the world to engage with this topic. What is needed now is not merely an ethical reflection on humanity’s relationship with nature, but also scientific knowledge to address practical concerns, particularly how to mitigate human-bear conflicts, including human casualties in urban areas. Acknowledgments Edit acknowledgments: We would like to thank Dr. Hiroyuki Yokomizo and Dr. Yoichi Tsuzuki, the editors in charge of this special feature, and Dr. Shunsuke Utsumi and Prof. Mitsuhiko Asakawa, who organized the symposia in 2023 and 2025, respectively. While we consulted suggestions from Generative AI for proofreading the English, the final responsibility rests with the authors. Rereferences Bombieri, G., J. Naves, V. Penteriani, N. Selva, A. Fernández-Gil, J. V. López-Bao, H. Ambarli, et al. 2019. Brown bear attacks on humans: a worldwide perspective. Scientific Reports 9 (1): 8573. doi.org Matsuda, H., A. Maki, T. Mano, H. Tsuruga, T. Hino, and S. Horino. 2026. An adaptive management model for brown bears in Hokkaido: Based on total population and the number of nuisance bears. Population Ecology 68 (1): e70004. doi.org Saitoh, T., and T. Mano. 2026. [Please provide the full title if available, or I can help search for it]. Population Ecology 68 (1). doi.org Sato, Y. 2026. Navigating urban bear management: An overview of recent trends, challenges, and solutions in Hokkaido brown bear management. Population Ecology 68 (1): e70013. doi.org Tsuruga, H., M. Kondo, and T. Mano. 2026. Estimation of the number of nuisance bears in the Oshima Peninsula, Hokkaido. Population Ecology 68 (2): e70020. doi.org Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 07 April 2026 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords 1.010: applied ecology 1.100: population ecology 1: field of ecology 3.040: mammals 3: organisms adaptive management hokkaido human-wildlife conflict nuisance bear population control Authors Affiliations Hiroyuki Matsuda 0000-0002-1768-300X [email protected] Yokohama National University View all articles by this author Takashi Saitoh 0000-0003-4085-5014 Hokkaido University View all articles by this author Yoshikazu Sato 0009-0005-6410-9149 Rakuno Gakuen University View all articles by this author Hifumi TSURUGA 0009-0002-2493-1697 Hokkaido Research Organisation View all articles by this author Tsutomu Mano 0009-0008-2035-2325 Hokkaido Research Organisation View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 185 views 101 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Hiroyuki Matsuda, Takashi Saitoh, Yoshikazu Sato, et al. The brown bear population management. Authorea . 07 April 2026. 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