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Polar Bear Necessities

'Threatening the Very Existence of Polar Bears'

The outlook for Polar Bears is bleak. Artic countries met for the first time in decades to mull the future of the white fluffy bears. SPIEGEL ONLINE spoke to Rasmus Hansson of the World Wildlife Fund about climate change and hunters.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: For the first time in almost 30 years, Arctic countries met up to discuss how to save the polar bears. Did they manage to agree on ways to protect them?

Hansson: Initially there will be no new steps taken but the countries have pledged a circumpolar action plan for the bears.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: That sounds very technical. Are there any particular states that are putting the brakes on further steps?

Hansson: That is hard to say. There were no specific protective measures mooted on the agenda. Since we were not allowed to participate in large parts of the discussions, we don't know the details on what the states were discussing. Canada and Greenland pressed for closing the meeting to independent observers.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: What were they worried about?

Hansson: The obvious assumption is that these countries do not want to be confronted with the biggest challenge facing polar bear conservation. I am talking about climate change and the responsibility of countries that have polar bears for taking action. Norway was pushing hard to open the meeting, something both the US and Russia supported. But because of the consensus mechanism that works in meetings like this, Canada and Greenland got what they wanted.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Are the bears threatened more from climate change or from hunting?

Hansson: Definitely climate change. Hunting can be managed within the polar bear populations. Regulations can be changed relatively easily if necessary. Climate change, though, is a global threat that needs to be tackled at a much higher level. This is the fundamental threat to the very existence of the polar bears. If climate change is not dealt with the future of the polar bears is not going to be a long one.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Which brings us to the fundamental questions: How many polar bears actually live in the Arctic?

Hansson: Each country gave a presentation as did the Polar Bear Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The global polar bear population amounts to some 25,000 animals, though that figure is far from certain. There is documentation of decline in some important populations.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Did the meeting help to improve the situation of the bears?

Hansson: We're on the right track. The countries involved actually recognized climate change as a fundamental threat to polar bears. Although it seems to be an obvious statement, it was not clear the countries could even agree on that. And the commitment to develop a new polar bear conservation plan means that the parties recognize it is now time to take concrete steps. They will have to speed up their work -- and address the issues that are so important to polar bears.

The interview was conducted by Christoph Seidler

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