Sammendrag
Key words: Ursus maritimus, CITES, polar bear, Non-Detriment Finding, Norwegian
Scientific Committee for Food and Environment, Norwegian Environment Agency, VKM
Background: Canada is the only nation in the world that allows commercial export of polar
bear products harvested from its own wild populations. Norway is among the destinations for
exported material. Polar bears are listed on CITES appendix II and on list B of the Norwegian
CITES Regulation. Import of harvested polar bears to Norway requires both export permits
from the Canadian CITES authorities and import permits from the Norwegian Environment
Agency. Consequently, a Non-Detriment Finding (NDF) is mandated and was commissioned
by the Norwegian Environment Agency (Norwegian Management Authority for CITES) to the
Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) (Norway’s CITES Scientific
Authority). The NDF is a scientific risk assessment evaluating whether or not international
trade can be detrimental to the survival of polar bears. The risk assessment may also be
used by the Norwegian Environment Agency to assess whether the polar bears should be
placed on Norwegian CITES list A.
Currently, the IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group (PBSG) recognizes 19 subpopulations of
polar bears in the circumpolar Arctic, of which 13 reside wholly (9) or partly (4) in Canada.
Together, these 13 populations account for about two thirds of the world’s total polar bear
population. This risk assessment considers the populations that are within the hunting areas.
Methods: VKM has reviewed current knowledge about polar bear biological characteristics,
population status and trends in subpopulations. Scenarios for the future development of the
Arctic environment, to which the species is inextricably adapted, are presented. Habitat loss
due to declining sea ice is widely recognized as the main threat to polar bears, and this, as
well as other obstacles to the species survival, has been evaluated. The various legislations,
regulations and monitoring regimes of the range countries are briefly summarised. Moreover,
international trade in polar bear products has been analysed. VKM has further undertaken an
assessment of data quality and uncertainties. In order to gain access to the most recent
information on polar bear biology and management, four scientists from the PBSG were
interviewed and the transcripts of the interviews (with consent from the hearing experts) are
attached to this report.
Results: The best scientific knowledge available for polar bears in Canada suggests that
four subpopulations are in decline, two are stable, and one is increasing, while the
population trends for the remaining subpopulations are unknown. Noteworthy, all the
estimates of population size are highly uncertain. Survey methods also changed between the
2008 and 2018 population estimates used for quota setting. Moreover, data are in most
areas collected too infrequently to detect rapid changes in population size. Particularly, under changing environmental conditions. The prognosis for the Arctic marine environment points
towards continuing habitat loss and inevitably further decline for the polar bear population.
Analyses of data from the CITES trade database reveal a dynamic international market for
polar bear products with significant changes in destination countries and the purpose for
transactions. The United States was the main importer of polar bear products, mainly
hunting trophies, until listing the polar bear as a threatened species in 2008. In more recent
years, China has become the major importer, with hides being the preferred product.
Simultaneously with these changes, there has been a significant increase in the price of polar bear hides. Conclusion: Several polar bear subpopulations are in decline. Predictions of continuing habitat loss points to further decline. While not the main threat to polar bear survival, international trade .......
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