IQALUIT - Elders and members of hunter and trappers organizations want polar bears off Canada's "species of special concern" list, because they believe the animals' numbers are not in danger.

Attima Hadlari, chair of the regional wildlife board in the Kitikmeot region, speaks at a public hearing held by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board on April 15.

"I don't like the idea of polar bears being listed as a species of special concern when indeed the population is increasing," said Ovide Alakannuark, a member of the hunter and trappers association in Kugaaruk.

Alakannuark was one of the community representatives participating in a public hearing hosted by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board from April 13-15 in Iqaluit, discussing how the federal government should classify Canada's polar bears.

According to Environment Canada, there are 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears in the polar region and 15,500 of them are in Canada.

The board held the hearing to consider a recommendation made by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) in April 2008 to list polar bears as a "species of special concern" on the government's Species at Risk registry.

If the animal is kept on this list, it could later classified be as "threatened" or "endangered'. The board will submit its own recommendation to the federal government, which will make the final decision to change the bears' status.

Alakannuark said the polar bear population is increasing in part because of the quotas given to harvesters by the government. This was a comment echoed by Gjoa Haven elder Ralph Porter.

"I should not be limited to harvesting male bears," he said.

Harvesters cannot shoot female bears and their cubs. Porter added that before the quotas were put into place, harvesters could pick the bear they wanted.

Attima Hadlari said the population of bears is also increasing because females are having more cubs. As the chair of the regional wildlife board in the Kitikmeot region, Hadlari said the increase in the population began 25 years ago.

Another issue raised by the elders and HTO members was how bears are being handled by scientists during surveying.

"I don't like how polar bears are being handled, it is intrusive to the wildlife," said Hadlari.

He said once bears are collared or tagged, they will not return to the same region. According to elders, Hadlari said, once a bear has been tagged or collared it gets angry. The bear then transfers that anger to all humans it comes in contact with, including hunters.

"Hunters want animals that have not been intrusively handled," he said.

Alakannuark said he does not mind if species are surveyed, as long as they are not handled.

Of notable absence on the last day of the hearing on April 15, was COSEWIC's chairman Jeff Hutchings.

Those in the audience noted Hutchings' absence.

"It shows a lack of respect and if he is visualizing the future then he should have stayed right to the end," said Ben Kovic, a member of the public who made a comment at the hearing.

Alakannuark said he was disappointed Hutchings was not there for the elders' presentations where they discussed Inuit knowledge. He said it would have been good for Hutchings to hear their comments.

-with files from Christine Ootova