Arctic Nations Link Polar Bear Survival to Climate Protection

The polar bear range states - Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Norway, Russia and the United States - in 1973 signed the legally binding Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears, agreeing to protect the white bears and their habitat. They gathered in Tromso for three days this week, their first meeting since 2007.

"We are very encouraged by the final declaration from this meeting,” says Geoff York, polar bear coordinator for WWF International’s Arctic Program.

"We were concerned that some countries were lagging behind the others in their commitment to dealing with climate change, but ultimately, the parties recognized climate change as the primary threat to the future well-being of polar bears," said York.

"They also recognized formally "the urgent need for an effective global response that will address the challenges of climate change,” to be addressed at gatherings such as the meeting of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in December in Copenhagen where a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol is expected to be finalized.

Polar bear occupies the only ice floe for miles in a warming Arctic Ocean. (Photo by Francis Lai)

"Climate change also makes the polar bear more vulnerable to other threats such as hazardous chemicals, hunting, disturbances and encroachment upon their natural habitat," he said.

"Many polar bear populations are shared between neighboring countries, and polar bears migrate across national borders. This means that activities in one area may affect polar bears in other countries. Climate change and increased industrial activity in many parts of the Arctic therefore requires reinforced international cooperation on the management of polar bears, Solheim said.

The Norwegian government played a key role in bringing the parties together, and in setting high expectations for the meeting, York said.

Solheim told Norwegian television, "It would be an amazing crime against future generations if we did not save the polar bear.”

At this week's three day meeting the polar bear range states also agreed to come up with a circumpolar action plan for the management of bears, and to formally designate the Polar Bear Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN, as the scientific advisory body to the Agreement.

These measures were proposed by WWF in advance of the meeting, York said.

"Although we are generally very pleased with the meeting outcome, this is by no means the end of the story - it is the start on the path to polar bear survival,” he said.

"The real proof of this new commitment to taking urgent and effective action on climate change is what leaders of these nations will commit to later this year," York said. "Ministers from these five countries are meeting in this same town toward the end of April at a meeting of the Arctic Council, and have a golden opportunity then to outline their national commitment to climate change.”

Polar bear in Alaska (Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Ultimately, said York, the polar bear nations must join with other countries at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen to sign an effective global deal on climate change that will save the polar bears’ Arctic sea ice habitat, along with the entire ice ecosystem.

There are 19 polar bear subpopulations, which number in total between 20,000 and 25,000 bears, according to the IUCN Red List, which classifies the polar bear as Vulnerable to extinction.

Polar bears rely almost entirely on the marine sea ice environment for their survival so that large scale changes in their habitat will impact the population.

Sea ice has declined considerably over the past half century. Additional declines of roughly 10–50 percent of annual sea ice are predicted by 2100.

The summer sea ice is projected to decrease by 50–100 percent during the same period. In addition the quality of the remaining ice will decline. This change may also have a negative effect on the population size, scientists say.

"Due to their long generation time and the current greater speed of global warming, it seems unlikely that polar bear will be able to adapt to the current warming trend in the Arctic," the IUCN says, adding, "If climatic trends continue polar bears may become extirpated from most of their range within 100 years."

Other stress factors that affect polar bear survival are toxic contaminants, shipping, recreational viewing, oil and gas exploration and development. In addition, the IUCN says, there is a potential risk of over-harvest due to increased quotas, excessive quotas or no quotas in Canada and Greenland and poaching in Russia.

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