Polar bears, top predators in their arctic habitat, face growing threats to their survival in the form of habitat loss and degredation (climate change, sea ice reduction, and chemical pollutants), capture for public display, and hunting. Although it is very difficult to estimate polar bear populations because they live in such remote regions of the world, it is known that populations are dropping. Scientists at the July 2005 meeting of the World Conservation Union's Polar Bear Specialist Group announced that polar bear populations could drop 30% in the coming 35–50 years. The group recommended that polar bears be classified as vulnerable by the IUCN and added to the IUCN Red List of threatened species. Both the United States and Canada have already classified the polar bear as requiring special protections. The HSUS believes all nonessential human exploitation of polar bears, such as capture for display or trophy hunting, should be prohibited.
Protections
In the United States, the Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed by Congress in 1972 to prevent the harassment, injuring, or killing of marine mammals, including the polar bear. Global efforts to protect the polar bear led to the 1973 International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears. This treaty was ratified by the Senate and requires the protection of all polar bear ecosystems, which include denning, feeding, and migration areas. It was signed by all five nations that have polar bear populations within their territories: the United States, Canada, the Russian Federation (at that time, the Soviet Union), Denmark (for Greenland), and Norway.
Hunting
Because of their long lives and slow reproduction, polar bears rely on high adult survival rates to maintain their numbers. Therefore, over-hunting of adults can cause a catastrophic crash in population. Unfortunately, polar bear habitat is remote and difficult to regulate, so unlawful hunting of polar bears persists. In the United States, "native take" by the indigenous peoples of the Arctic, using traditional equipment such as dog sleds, is the only hunting allowed under the MMPA. Trophy hunting is arguably illegal under the International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears. Canada and, recently, Greenland are the only nations with polar bears that allow hunters to kill polar bears for sport and/or trophies. But other nations may allow trophy hunting in the near future, including the United States. Currently, the MMPA allows American hunters to travel to Canada, kill a polar bear, and import the body or pelt back into the United States as a trophy.
Trade in Polar Bear Parts
Bear gall bladders are used in traditional medicines in some Asian countries and sell for thousands of dollars each. Trophy collectors pay as much as $20,000 or more to acquire one pelt. Exportation of polar bear parts, including gall bladders and hides, stimulates demand in foreign markets, and increased demand leads to increased poaching and illegal trade, which would be extremely detrimental to this species. Poaching is a particular problem in the Russian Federation, where enforcement of hunting quotas is extremely poor.
What You Can Do
1. Click here to tell the Polar Bear Project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to stop allowing the import of polar bear trophies into the United States.
2. Write to your senators and representative and ask them to support an amendment to the MMPA to repeal the provision allowing the import of polar bear trophies into the United States. Tell them that sport hunting and trophy importation are inconsistent with the International Agreement and with the spirit of the MMPA. Express your disapproval of oil and gas exploration in polar bear territory, particularly in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Urge them to work to seriously address climate change, as polar bears are particularly vulnerable to losses in sea ice coverage in the arctic.
3. Support strong international regulation of the trade in bear parts. Let your senators and representative know that you support federal legislation that prohibits trade in bear gall bladders and that mandates significant penalties for poaching and illegal trade.
4. Contact the Canadian Wildlife Service and Environment Canada (of which Canadian Wildlife Service is a part) and insist that it cease to allow the sport/trophy hunting of polar bears in Canada.
Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H3
819-997-1095
Fax: 819-997-2756
Environment Canada
National Office
Ottawa ON, K1A 0H3
819-997-2800
Fax: 819-953-2225
enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca
