Qatar: No trade reprieve for polar bears at CITES

19 March 2010
Doha: Qatar-supported US proposal aiming to curb international trade of polar bear and parts received a major setback at the 15th conference of parties (CoP15) of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of the Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), yesterday.

Falling short of the required two-third majority, the polar bears have failed to be transferred to CITES Appendix I from Appendix II. With only 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears remaining, experts predict the population to decline by two-thirds by 2050, largely due to climatic changes followed by commercial trade.

The US position emphasised that any additional threats including a relatively small commercial trade in polar bears adds additional pressure to an already stressed population. Therefore, a precautionary approach, to eliminate the commercial trade in polar bears by listing them in CITES Appendix I was appropriate.

However, majority of the parties at CITES meets rejected the proposal over concerns it would hurt indigenous economies and arguments the practice didn't pose a significant threat to the animals. Also, though a number of nations recognised the threat that the polar bear faces from loss of sea ice due to climate change, they disagreed over whether the requirements of Appendix I listing criteria were met.

Canada, along with Norway and Greenland, led the opposition to the U.S. proposal. "Trade is minimal and the hunting done by indigenous communities is critical to their economies. Only two-percent of Canadian polar bears are internationally traded and the country strictly manages the commerce. There is no doubt that action must continue to ensure the conservation of polar bears. Canada's goal is long term survival of polar bears. But Canada does not think the proposal is supported by facts," Canada delegation said.

"Climate change is the biggest challenge for Polar bear and a listing in Appendix I cannot help it," said an Inuit leader from Canada. "Polar bear hunting is the only source of livelihood for us as we do not have timber or fish. They are the source of our food, clothing and shelter. We have been hunting for generations; we hunt them in a sustainable way and will continue doing so with or without an international ban. We have lot to lose if polar trade does not exist any more."
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Norway cited the polar bear lacking any biological criteria to be listed in Appendix I and described the proposal as being "premature." They also asked the issue to be looked into by Polar bear conservation groups rather than CITES. Greenland delegation said theta there was no on going decline in Polar Bear population which was many folds higher than 5,000. They argued that well established measures already existed.

After more than one hour of discussion of the proposal, CITES Committee put the matter to vote. The final results were 48 in support, 62 opposed, and 11 abstentions.

"The US knows knows about the implication the ban would have on the communities, however we make a choice," Jane Lyder, Head of US CITES delegation had said earlier.

© The Peninsula 2010
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