Japan Releases Tips On Bear Spray Use Amid Concern Over Bear Attacks

TOKYO, Sept 6 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- The Japanese government recently released guidelines on how to check the specifications of bear repellent sprays and properly choose and use them amid a proliferation of ineffective products on the market, Kyodo News reported.

With public interest in bear sprays growing as the country faces an increase in bear sightings and attacks, the Environment Ministry and the Consumer Affairs Agency have urged manufacturers and distributors to provide information on the efficacy of their products.

Unlike the United States, Japan has no uniform standards for such sprays.

According to the ministry and other sources, the main component in a repellent is capsaicin, the active chemical compound in chilli peppers.

The concentration of the ingredient in the product should be around 1 to 2 per cent, while the spray should have a range of at least 7.5 metres and a continuous spray duration of at least six seconds, according to the ministry's guidance.

"Some products rebranded for bears were actually made for use against people," said Shinjiro Sasaki, a ministry official who also recommended that people practice using the repellents.

The recently released warnings also urged people not to carry bear sprays unless necessary, to purchase products with a safety latch and to store them out of reach of children.

There were more than 50,000 bear encounters in the year ended March, a record high and double the year-earlier level, according to government data.

"Using the repellent sprays should be a last resort," Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara said at a press conference. "We ask people to also take other countermeasures such as moving in large groups."

-- BERNAMA-KYODO