03 Oct 2007 - The US and
Russia have ratified a bilateral agreement
for the long-term conservation of shared
polar bear populations in Alaska, the US
and Chukotka, Russia.
The treaty unifies US and Russian management
programmes that affect this shared population
of bears. Notably, the treaty calls for
the active involvement of native people
and their organizations in future management
programmes. It will also enhance such long-term
joint efforts as conservation of ecosystems
and important habitats, harvest allocations
based on sustainability, collection of biological
information, and increased consultation
and cooperation with state, local, and private
interests.
"WWF is pleased that this treaty will
finally go into effect and formalize the
increasing cooperation between US and Russian
management agencies, scientists, and native
communities in an effort to conserve our
shared population of polar bears,"
said Margaret Williams, director of the
WWF Bering Sea-Kamchatka Ecoregion Programme.
“With the rapid decline of arctic sea ice,
now more than ever, we need to work together
to ensure that polar bears have a chance
to survive difficult times ahead."
Polar bears typically occur at low densities
over vast areas of the Arctic. Current estimates
of the world's 19 separate populations range
from 20,000 to 25,000 bears. Two populations
of the bears occur in Alaska: the southern
Beaufort Sea population (about 1,500 animals),
shared with Canada; and the Alaska-Chukotka
(Chukchi Sea) population (approximately
2,000 bears), which is shared with Russia.
"While we are very pleased the treaty
is coming into effect and support its goals,
we urge the US government to take more courageous
and bold actions to address the factor now
widely recognised as the source of global
climate change and resulting warming in
the polar bears' arctic habitat: CO2 emissions,"
Williams added.
The treaty fulfills the spirit and intent
of the 1973 multilateral Agreement on the
Conservation of Polar Bears among the United
States, Russia, Norway, Denmark (for Greenland)
and Canada by allowing a sustainable harvest
by Alaska and Chukotka natives, but prohibiting
the harvest of females with cubs or of cubs
less than one year old. It also prohibits
the use of aircraft and large motorized
vehicles in the taking of polar bears and
enhances the conservation of specific habitats
such as feeding, congregating, and denning
areas.
Margaret Williams, Director
WWF Bering Sea-Kamachatka Ecoregion Programme
Viktor Nikiforov, Director Regional Programmes
WW-Russia
Miriam Geitz, Climate Change Officer
WWF International Arctic Programme
