U.S. offering polar bears better protection than Canada

Published on May 16, 2008 - 7:07:46 AM

By: David Suzuki Foundation

OTTAWA, May 15, 2008 -- News that the U.S. is listing the polar bear as 'threatened' under its Endangered Species Act sends a clear signal that Canada is lagging behind in its global responsibility to protect wildlife, says the David Suzuki Foundation.

The polar bear is not yet listed under Canada's Species At Risk Act (SARA), despite the fact that more than half of the world's polar bears are found in Canada.

"This is a strong step from the US," said Rachel Plotkin, the Foundation's Biodiversity Policy Analyst. "I hope that Canada is not far behind."

The primary threat facing polar bears in Canada is melting sea ice caused by global warming. Other significant threats include the bioaccumulation of persistent pollutants, unsustainable hunting of some populations, and development and shipping activity in the north.

Canada's independent scientific advisory committee - COSEWIC - assessed the polar bears as a species of 'special concern' in 1991, 1999 and 2002. In 2005, the government had the opportunity to add the polar bear to the SARA list, but instead returned it back to COSEWIC for a reassessment.

This past April, COSEWIC announced that it is upholding its special concern assessment. The formal COSEWIC assessment lands on Environment Minister Baird's desk in August. He then can recommend to add the polar bear to the list under SARA. If the polar bear is listed as special concern, a national management plan must be prepared that identifies the key threats it faces and means to address them.

"There is global recognition that the polar bear is in trouble," said Rachel Plotkin, the Foundation's Biodiversity Policy Analyst. "Canada not only has to list the polar bear, but look squarely at the green house emissions within our borders - these emissions are directly contributing to the decline of the polar bear."

For more information on the status of the polar bear in Canada, visit: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/files/SWAG/DSF-Polar-Bear.pdf

Website: www.davidsuzuki.org

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