On Thursday, October 30, the government held the first meeting of the relevant ministerial council on bear damage countermeasures. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara urged the police to immediately consider using rifles to exterminate bears. The government also announced that it would expedite efforts to secure hunters, and as part of this effort, it would promote the use of government hunters. Government hunters are public servants and other public organization employees who hold hunting licenses. Government hunters are said to have advantages, such as the ability to respond quickly to bear captures. According to the Greater Japan Hunters’ Association, the number of hunters peaked at around 450,000, but has now fallen below 100,000. The association is taking various measures to prevent further declines in the number of hunters, but this appears to be challenging. Many young people aspire to become hunters, which also contributes to their communities. However, because it involves killing animals, many give up due to family opposition. Furthermore, owning a hunting rifle is subject to various restrictions. To obtain permission to own a hunting rifle, a thorough background investigation is required, with detailed interviews conducted with relevant parties. For example, people currently undergoing divorce proceedings are not permitted to own a hunting rifle. Even those who own hunting rifles can have them confiscated if they go through divorce proceedings. Young people who are very conscious of their privacy dislike background checks, and this can sometimes lead them to give up on becoming hunters. In fact, I’m currently considering getting a hunting license. Traveling around the region for interviews and other activities, I can clearly see how serious wildlife damage is. One of the reasons for this is the shortage of hunters and their aging. The aging of hunters is significant, but conversely, this means that even elderly people can become hunters. If I get a hunting license now, I might be able to use hunting as a role in my retirement. Since wildlife damage will continue to be a local issue, getting a hunting license will increase my opportunities to contribute to the community. With these thoughts in mind, I’m interested in getting a hunting license, but the word “killing” keeps crossing my mind, and I can’t take the first step. (Kei Kitajima)

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