Stephanie McDonald
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 10, 2007

IQALUIT - The polar bear is facing increasing threats but getting no help from government leaders, according to a recent study by the David Suzuki Foundation.

Released on Nov. 26, Canada's Polar Bear: Falling Through the Cracks? is a legislative review of the seven provinces and territories in the country that are home to polar bears.

A David Suzuki Foundation report states that the federal government isn't doing enough to protect Canada's polar bears. But, the Nunavut Wildlife Board, claims that the territory has the best management system in the world when it comes to polar bears. - photo courtesy of Matthew Mader

"The main threat facing polar bears is global warming," said Rachel Plotkin, a biodiversity policy analyst and author of the study.

The federal government has failed to take appropriate action on global warming, the Suzuki Foundation says.

The organization is calling on the provinces and territories to step in where the federal government won't and list the polar bear as a species of special concern. They say the latter is something Nunavut has refused to do to date.

Nunavut will only make that listing if and when the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife makes that recommendation, said Joe Tigullaraq, chairperson of the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.

Nunavut's quota system was not examined during the study.

"Hunting is not the primary problem," said Plotkin. "However, when a population faces stresses, an unsustainable hunt could further contribute to their decline."

Plotkin said there is often the perception that by listing the bears, hunting would be affected. But she said the listing merely calls for a management plan to be put in place.

Nunavut has memoranda of understanding with different communities, but no proper management plan.

"I think we have the best managed wildlife, in terms of polar bear management in Nunavut, in the world," Tigullaraq said. "It would be misleading for anyone, including the Suzuki report, to state that we're not doing enough."

Tigullaraq said the board has heard reports that polar bears are being affected by climate change, but none of the studies is connected with their organization.

In Qikiqtarjuaq, Harry Alookie, manager of the Nattivak Hunters and Trappers Organization said while he has heard similar reports, he hasn't seen the polar bear population decrease or witnessed animals in poor health. The study outlines 10 recommendations of action needed in order to ensure the sustainability of the bears. Chief among them is the idea of creating protected areas on land and at sea. They would be in areas the bears are known to den in or travel through, "to safeguard the polar bear from the impacts of industry." Oil, gas and mining companies would be barred from the designated areas.

Alookie said he thinks it's a bad idea.

"Our beneficiaries need to work, they need to find jobs ... people cannot just sit around and do nothing," he said.

Mineral exploration is increasing on Baffin Island, and he said he wants to see benefits for his fellow community members.