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For Immediate Release
Polar Bears to be Protected Under Endangered Species Act
Defenders of Wildlife Releases Solution-Based Report on Polar Bear Conservation
Washington D.C. -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed listing polar bears as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The proposal indicates that global warming is melting the arctic sea ice that polar bears need to hunt prey, resulting in starvation, drowning and cannibalism among the world's only marine bear. Defenders of Wildlife applauds the proposal, and today released a scientific report outlining critical steps for the future of polar bear conservation.
"We are pleased that FWS has recommended protecting the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act," said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife. "At least five of the world's 19 polar bear populations are currently in decline from the complex effects of global warming. At this rate, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) is predicting a 30 percent reduction in polar bear numbers in the next 45 years. As part of Defenders of Wildlife's work to address the impacts of global warming on wildlife, the first report in our series entitled 'Navigating the Arctic Meltdown' highlights the challenges facing the polar bear, and offers ways to help the species navigate the complex threats posed by global warming until the benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions can be realized."
Global warming has resulted in prolonged ice-free periods, leaving polar bears stranded onshore for longer and longer stretches of time without access to food. For every week of delay in freeze-up, polar bears lose an estimated 22 pounds of critical fat reserves, and scientists have already documented a 15 percent drop in birth rates. Additionally, chemical pollutants have found their way into the cold Arctic ecosystems, where they remain trapped in the ice for decades. Chemicals such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), banned from the U.S. plastics industry since the 1970s, concentrate in the blubber of prey species that are then eaten by the bears.
"Degrading pack-ice habitat is making it increasingly difficult for polar bears to find their prey. They are being forced to forage for food on land, where prey is nearly impossible to find," said Chris Haney, Ph.D., chief scientist with Defenders of Wildlife. "By boosting conservation measures and honestly confronting the issue of global warming, FWS has demonstrated the importance of protecting and recovering this unique arctic mammal."
In 1973, Canada, the U.S., Denmark, Norway and the former U.S.S.R. signed the International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears and their Habitat. The goal of the treaty is to protect the ecosystems where bears live, particularly denning and feeding areas and migration routes. The agreement bans hunting from aircraft and powerboats, but does not address other factors that are rapidly degrading polar bear habitat. The listing will help fulfill the United States' obligation under a recent bilateral treaty with Russia to prevent the loss of polar bear habitat.
Listing polar bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act should help protect polar bear habitat, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska, where the Bush administration has proposed oil and gas development. Federal regulatory agencies would be required to consider how their decisions affect the habitat and longevity of the polar bear. The listing would also enable state and federal wildlife managers to curb other causes of polar bear decline, such as unsustainable hunting and chemical exposure.
"Even if we implement meaningful solutions now, it may still be decades before we see results," Haney said. "In an effort to create a roadmap for survival, we are developing a series of 10 monthly installments on global warming and its effect on arctic wildlife. The solutions-based reports will focus on one arctic species per month, discuss threats to the species due to global warming, and identify real-world opportunities to promote wildlife recovery over the next 100 years."
See the "Navigating the Arctic Meltdown" series.
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Defenders of Wildlife is recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 500,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues. For more information, visit www.defenders.org.
