Visitors stepping onto London's Trafalgar Square from 11 December could get a chill in their spines as they come face to face with a life-sized polar bear. In the Arctic, melting sea ice is threatening the polar bear's survival. In London, 'Bear In The Square' is an ice sculpture that will melt over ten days, sending out a powerful message about the impacts of climate change on the world's people and biodiversity.
Renowned animal sculptor, Mark Coreth is creating two life-sized ice sculptures of polar bears - one will be carved in London's Trafalgar Square on 11 December, the other will be located in the city of Copenhagen, where world leaders are meeting to agree how the world will tackle the growing climate crisis. The Arctic is already experiencing severe and devastating climate change and the most important step that can be taken to protect species like the polar bear is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Showing posts with label Polar Bear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Polar Bear. Show all posts
Polar bear habitat in Alaska declared critical
Photo: Alan D. Wilson/WikimediaIn a move applauded by WWF, the US Department of the Interior has announced the proposed designation of almost 52 million hectares of key polar bear habitat across Alaska. The requirement for the identification of 'critical habitat' was triggered by the listing of polar bears as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in 2008. "Designation of critical habitat affords important protections to the polar bear, a species imperiled by dramatic changes in its sea ice environment," says Geoff York, senior program officer for Polar Bear Conservation at WWF.
"As sea ice habitat shrinks, it becomes increasingly important to protect areas that are crucial for the bears' survival."
The critical habitat proposal announced today identifies habitat in three separate areas or units: barrier island habitat, sea ice habitat and terrestrial denning habitat. The total area proposed for designation would cover almost 52 million hectares (200,541 square miles).
Barrier island habitat includes coastal barrier islands and spits along Alaska's coast, and is used for denning, refuge from human disturbances, access to maternal dens and feeding habitat, as well as travel along the coast. Sea ice habitat is located over the continental shelf, and includes water 300m and less in depth. Terrestrial denning habitat includes lands within 32 km (about 20 miles) of the northern coast of Alaska between the Canadian border and the Kavik River and within 8 km (about 5 miles) between the Kavik River and Barrow.
WWF works around the Arctic with local communities, scientists and governments to enhance polar bear conservation, protect their habitat, and ensure sustainable populations. WWF encourages the Department of the Interior to ensure that the views of local people are incorporated in the designation of critical habitat areas.
With the impact of climate change, Arctic ice has started to melt. The consequences for the polar bear, will be devastating. Video:WWF/Youtube
The world's top scientific experts on polar bears, the Polar Bear Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), recently concluded that the IUCN Red List classification of the polar bear should be upgraded from 'Least Concern' to 'Vulnerable'. That was based on the likelihood of an overall decline in the size of the total population of more than 30 per cent within the next 35 to 50 years..
The principal cause of this decline is climatic warming as it melts away the polar bears' important sea ice habitat.
At the Polar Bear Specialist Group Meeting this summer, the experts concluded that eight polar bear population groups are now in decline, up from five in 2005.
"Polar bears are not land animals - they evolved over thousands of years to be sea ice specialists. They need the ice to hunt for seals, their primary food. Take away the ice and you take away the bears," added York.
In recent years, science has documented a decline in the condition and cub survival rate of some of the most southerly bear populations, and most recently significant increases in polar bear movements and home ranges as animals are forced to migrate longer distances in search of food or habitat.
"The changes we are witnessing in the Arctic do not just raise concerns about the fate of iconic species such as polar bear - our own future is at stake," said York.
"The planet is changing in dangerous ways and the longer we wait to address the climate crisis the costlier it will be. While designation of critical habitat for polar bear is a positive step, it remains critical that the U.S. Senate pass a climate bill this year, moving us closer to reaching a global agreement in Copenhagen this December."
Wildlife groups seek halt to Polar Bear trade
Photo: Wikimedia CommonsThe International Fund for Animal Welfare, Humane Society International, and Defenders of Wildlife have urged the US to lead the way to end international commercial trade in polar bears, including hides, trophies, rugs and other polar bear parts. The US has an opportunity to submit a proposal to stop the trade at next year’s meeting of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The meeting is set for 13-25 March in Doha, Qatar.
Polar bears in the wild live entirely within five countries: Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Norway, Russian Federation, and the US. There are presently between 20,000 and 25,000 polar bears and the number is decreasing.
Polar bears are completely dependent on sea ice, which they use for hunting prey, reproduction and movement. Ongoing atmospheric pollution is causing oceanic and atmospheric warming, which is leading to reductions in sea ice. Some scientists have concluded that polar bears will not survive past the end of this century due to the complete loss of summer sea ice.
In 2008, the US listed the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. This ended the importation to the US of trophies of polar bears killed by American sport hunters. Although hunters from other countries can still import trophies, the US was by far the largest importer and American trophy hunters had driven this large-scale commercial killing.
In addition to hunting trophies, polar bear parts—skin, fur, claws, skulls and even stuffed bears—enter international commercial trade. More than 400 polar bear skins are traded annually; most come from Canada and most go to Japan.
The proposal would transfer the polar bear from CITES Appendix II, which allows regulated international commercial trade, to Appendix I, which prohibits all international commercial trade in the listed species. The purpose of CITES is to prevent over-exploitation of species through international trade.
The Appendix I designation would mean that countries agree to prohibit international trade for primarily commercial purposes and thus ensure that international trade will not contribute to the ongoing decrease in polar bear numbers. Appendix I listing will not affect native subsistence hunting or use of polar bears.
The US must submit the proposal to the CITES Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, by no later than 14 October 2009. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is accepting comments from the public through September 11.
“We cannot sit on the sidelines and accept the extinction of these iconic and magnificent creatures. The government should be doing everything it can to eliminate all threats to polar bears. By uplisting the species at the next CITES conference, the U.S. could help prevent the deaths of hundreds of polar bears killed needlessly for the commercial market,” said Jeff Flocken, DC Office Director, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
“The US is leading the way in saving this magnificent species from extinction by granting the polar bear protection under the Endangered Species Act. The federal government can continue its leadership for these rare creatures by urging global protection under CITES,” said Teresa M. Telecky, Ph.D., Director of Wildlife for Humane Society International.
“Polar bears are facing so many threats right now, from global warming to poaching, trophy hunting and commercial trade, that scientists say they could vanish from the US by the middle of the century. We can’t solve all of these threats right away, but we can eliminate the threat of commercial trade. The US can and should take the lead, by submitting a proposal to CITES to uplist the polar bear,” said Rodger Schlickeisen, President, Defenders of Wildlife.
EPA to be sued over pesticide-hit polar bears
EPA is yet to examine the impact of approved pesticides on this speciesThe Center for Biological Diversity has said it will sue the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to consider impacts to the polar bear and its Arctic habitat from toxic contamination from pesticide use in the US.
EPA-approved pesticides reach the Arctic via various atmospheric, oceanic, and biotic pathways and end up in the food eated by polar bears, the apex predators of the Arctic.
Pesticides and related contaminants cause increased cub mortality in polar bears. Human subsistence hunters in the Arctic, who share the top spot on the food web with the polar bear, also face increased risks from exposure to these contaminants.
“The poisoning of the Arctic is a silent crisis that threatens not just the polar bear, but the entire Arctic ecosystem, as well as the people and communities that live within it,” said Rebecca Noblin, with the Center for Biological Diversity in Anchorage.
“Because the polar bear sits at the top of the food pyramid, if we do what is necessary to protect the bear from pesticides, we will also be protecting the Arctic ecosystem and the people that depend upon it.”
EPA is responsible
Courts have held that the agency must examine the impacts of any pesticide it approves on species protected under the Endangered Species Act. The polar bear is protected under this Act. But the EPA has yet to examine the impacts of any approved pesticide on the species.
“The US has lagged far behind the international community in taking action to protect the species and people of the Arctic from contaminants,” said Brendan Cummings, a senior attorney at the Center.
“But with the listing of the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act, the EPA now has not just the opportunity but the legal obligation to take meaningful steps to address the poisoning of the Arctic.”
Threats to polar bear
The IUCN’s Polar Bear Specialist Group, comprised of the world’s leading polar bear scientists, met last week in Copenhagen and highlighted adverse health impacts from contaminants as one of the leading threats to the polar bear.
Polar bears also face threats from increased oil and gas development in their habitat and the proliferation of shipping routes in an increasingly ice-free Arctic. These activities bring heightened risk of oil spills and rising levels of noise
pollution and other kinds of human disturbance.
The Centre said that the 60-day notice is a legally required precursor before a lawsuit can be filed under the Endangered Species Act to compel the EPA to comply with the law.
The Center has brought several successful lawsuits against the EPA over the impacts of pesticides in the lower 48 states.
In 2006 the Center reached a settlement with the agency over the use of 66 pesticides in the habitat of an imperiled amphibian in California, while last week, as a result of a settlement of another Center lawsuit, the EPA proposed restrictions on 74 pesticides due to their impacts on 11 threatened and endangered species in California.
EPA-approved pesticides reach the Arctic via various atmospheric, oceanic, and biotic pathways and end up in the food eated by polar bears, the apex predators of the Arctic.
Pesticides and related contaminants cause increased cub mortality in polar bears. Human subsistence hunters in the Arctic, who share the top spot on the food web with the polar bear, also face increased risks from exposure to these contaminants.
“The poisoning of the Arctic is a silent crisis that threatens not just the polar bear, but the entire Arctic ecosystem, as well as the people and communities that live within it,” said Rebecca Noblin, with the Center for Biological Diversity in Anchorage.
“Because the polar bear sits at the top of the food pyramid, if we do what is necessary to protect the bear from pesticides, we will also be protecting the Arctic ecosystem and the people that depend upon it.”
EPA is responsible
Courts have held that the agency must examine the impacts of any pesticide it approves on species protected under the Endangered Species Act. The polar bear is protected under this Act. But the EPA has yet to examine the impacts of any approved pesticide on the species.
“The US has lagged far behind the international community in taking action to protect the species and people of the Arctic from contaminants,” said Brendan Cummings, a senior attorney at the Center.
“But with the listing of the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act, the EPA now has not just the opportunity but the legal obligation to take meaningful steps to address the poisoning of the Arctic.”
Threats to polar bear
The IUCN’s Polar Bear Specialist Group, comprised of the world’s leading polar bear scientists, met last week in Copenhagen and highlighted adverse health impacts from contaminants as one of the leading threats to the polar bear.
Polar bears also face threats from increased oil and gas development in their habitat and the proliferation of shipping routes in an increasingly ice-free Arctic. These activities bring heightened risk of oil spills and rising levels of noise
pollution and other kinds of human disturbance.
The Centre said that the 60-day notice is a legally required precursor before a lawsuit can be filed under the Endangered Species Act to compel the EPA to comply with the law.
The Center has brought several successful lawsuits against the EPA over the impacts of pesticides in the lower 48 states.
In 2006 the Center reached a settlement with the agency over the use of 66 pesticides in the habitat of an imperiled amphibian in California, while last week, as a result of a settlement of another Center lawsuit, the EPA proposed restrictions on 74 pesticides due to their impacts on 11 threatened and endangered species in California.
Tuna spawning grounds can help Coral Triangle nations get better deal on fishing
Mar.10 (WWF): Asia Pacific fishing nations could use the presence of tuna spawning grounds to negotiate better prices and fairer fishing arrangements with foreign fishing nations, WWF said today.
The proposal was put forward as ministers started meeting in the Papua New Guinea capital Port Moresby this week to finalise a plan to protect marine environments and food security in the Coral Triangle region, covering waters between Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Pacific.
The area provides spawning grounds and migratory routes for tuna caught in the Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans, which make up around 70 per cent of the world’s tuna catch.
“The region’s spawning grounds are essential to the world’s multi-billion dollar tuna industry and the world should be prepared to support their protection and effective management,” said Dr Lida Pet Soede, leader of WWF’s Coral Triangle Program.
“This can help Coral Triangle countries negotiate fairer prices and fairer fishing arrangements with non-Coral Triangle nations, who also fish in these waters.”
Dr Pet Soede said it was fitting the final meeting be held in Papua New Guinea as PNG has taken a leading role in efforts to bring more sustainability to the region’s tuna fisheries, which are critical to the food security of millions.
Managing Director of Papua New Guinea’s National Fisheries Authority, Sylvester Pokajam, warned of a collapse of the big eye tuna fishery unless fishing nations operating in the Coral Triangle introduced measures to make the fishery more sustainable.
“We can see a crash coming for tuna and this will be disastrous for many coastal communities in the Coral Triangle, where millions of people depend on healthy tuna stocks for food and livelihoods,” Mr Pokajam said.
“Here in PNG we have introduced fishing measures within our own zones in an effort to address the issue of overfishing, in particular where it comes to overfishing big eye tuna, but the success of these measures depends entirely on the willingness of other non-Coral Triangle nations to introduce similar measures.”
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste collectively make up the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI), introduced by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the APEC leader’s meeting in September 2007.
This week’s meeting is the final ministerial forum before Coral Triangle leaders gather in Manado, Indonesia on May 15 to announce details of a plan to protect marine ecosystems and food security in the region.
The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission will meet in Bali at the end of this month to consider among other things a set of recommendations by its scientific committee to reduce fishing pressure on yellowfin tuna, which it says is likely to have reached an overfished state.
The World Ocean Conference and the Coral Triangle Initiative Summit will be held from May 11 to 15 in Manado, Indonesia, and are expected to result in the Manado Ocean Declaration, a definitive statement on oceans and climate change.
“With climate change threatening to alter habitats in the region, it is even more critical to manage marine ecosystems for the ongoing food security of the region and for the survival of many species that depend on the Coral Triangle’s unique marine environment,” said Dr Pet Soede.
The proposal was put forward as ministers started meeting in the Papua New Guinea capital Port Moresby this week to finalise a plan to protect marine environments and food security in the Coral Triangle region, covering waters between Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Pacific.
The area provides spawning grounds and migratory routes for tuna caught in the Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans, which make up around 70 per cent of the world’s tuna catch.
“The region’s spawning grounds are essential to the world’s multi-billion dollar tuna industry and the world should be prepared to support their protection and effective management,” said Dr Lida Pet Soede, leader of WWF’s Coral Triangle Program.
“This can help Coral Triangle countries negotiate fairer prices and fairer fishing arrangements with non-Coral Triangle nations, who also fish in these waters.”
Dr Pet Soede said it was fitting the final meeting be held in Papua New Guinea as PNG has taken a leading role in efforts to bring more sustainability to the region’s tuna fisheries, which are critical to the food security of millions.
Managing Director of Papua New Guinea’s National Fisheries Authority, Sylvester Pokajam, warned of a collapse of the big eye tuna fishery unless fishing nations operating in the Coral Triangle introduced measures to make the fishery more sustainable.
“We can see a crash coming for tuna and this will be disastrous for many coastal communities in the Coral Triangle, where millions of people depend on healthy tuna stocks for food and livelihoods,” Mr Pokajam said.
“Here in PNG we have introduced fishing measures within our own zones in an effort to address the issue of overfishing, in particular where it comes to overfishing big eye tuna, but the success of these measures depends entirely on the willingness of other non-Coral Triangle nations to introduce similar measures.”
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste collectively make up the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI), introduced by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the APEC leader’s meeting in September 2007.
This week’s meeting is the final ministerial forum before Coral Triangle leaders gather in Manado, Indonesia on May 15 to announce details of a plan to protect marine ecosystems and food security in the region.
The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission will meet in Bali at the end of this month to consider among other things a set of recommendations by its scientific committee to reduce fishing pressure on yellowfin tuna, which it says is likely to have reached an overfished state.
The World Ocean Conference and the Coral Triangle Initiative Summit will be held from May 11 to 15 in Manado, Indonesia, and are expected to result in the Manado Ocean Declaration, a definitive statement on oceans and climate change.
“With climate change threatening to alter habitats in the region, it is even more critical to manage marine ecosystems for the ongoing food security of the region and for the survival of many species that depend on the Coral Triangle’s unique marine environment,” said Dr Pet Soede.
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