New Protection for the Polar Bear
The Arctic Bear Now is Protected Under the Engdangered Species Act
Jun 24, 2008
Polar Bears live and breed on floating sea ice of the Arctic Ocean hunting for ring seals, bearded seals, walruses and small whales. Polar bears are not skilled hunters on land and they typically fast during the summer months waiting for the sea ice to refreeze in the fall.
Scientists with the US Geological Survey have reported that Arctic sea ice is rapidly shrinking, they believe in big part, due to global warming. There are an estimated 25,000 polar bears left in the wild, with 4,700 of those bears living in Alaska. The US Geological Survey estimates that two thirds of the worldwide polar bear population will be wiped out by mid-century. Arctic sea ice is melting on average 2 ½ weeks earlier than it did 30 years ago and is taking longer to refreeze.
The polar bear was petitioned to be listed as threatened but not endangered. There is an important distinction to be made between the two listings. A species listed as endangered is likely to become extinct in its natural habitat range in the near future. A species listed as threatened is likely to become endangered in its natural habitat range in the near future. By listing the polar bear as threatened, it is protected under the United States most powerful environmental law, The Endangered Species Act of 1973. Listing the bear as threatened also means that the US will take measures to protect its habitat and assist in recovering the population to a healthy number.
Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced the decision of the Bush Administration on May 15th, 2008. In a statement he assured the business community that the decision would not stop the building of power plants or stop proposals for oil drilling in the region.
Environmentalists and animal rights activists are disappointed. The San Francisco Chronicle environment writer, Jane Kay, quoted Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director, in a May 15th article as saying, "Drilling would inundate polar bear habitat with pipelines, well pads, boat traffic, ice-breaking vessels and seismic blasting, not to mention the ever-present threat of oil spills."
The Canadian government has designated the polar bear as species of special concern, their weakest listing but Canada has no plans to list the bear as threatened or endangered although environmentalists are hoping that the decision by the United States to list the polar bear as threatened might put pressure on Canada and other countries to do so as well.
