Polar Bears and Conservation Concerns

Melting Sea Ice | Pollution | Hunting | Mining

Melting Sea Ice

The Arctic's climate is experiencing the warmest air temperatures in four centuries. With sea ice melting earlier and arriving later during the year, polar bears' hunting season is significantly diminished.

Because polar bears depend on sea ice in order to hunt seals, without it they are unable to reach their prey. In a warming climate, reduced ice coverage forces the bears to swim longer distances in open water in search of food.

Pollution

Although the Arctic is geographically isolated from the rest of the industrialized world, the contaminants traveling by air and water currents are far-reaching.

Once consumed, pollutants accumulate while traveling up the food chain, showing up in very high concentrations in apex predators, such as polar bears. Current studies show that all polar bears carry significant pollution loads.

Although a number of countries have reduced their use of pollutants, the effects of pollutants already in the environment may be felt for decades.

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Hunting

The unregulated hunting of polar bears was ended more than 30 years ago by an international agreement. But legal hunting by indigenous peoples, as a cultural activity and a source of income, continues to kill more than 700 polar bears a year.

Timely and accurate numbers census and hunting regulation is necessary to update quotas for legal hunting in terms of polar bear declining population.

Also, tragically, poaching is still widespread in areas where there is inadequate law enforcement.

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Mining

With sea ice melting, some polar bears are forced to den on land, putting them in closer proximity to mining sites. Lured by sounds and smells of human activity, there is concern for increased polar bear/human conflict.

Also, the possibility of oil spill is a major problem.

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