Polar Bear

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Polar bears are long-lived carnivores

coat helps them blend in with the

Status
On May 15, 2008 (Federal Register,
vol. 73, p. 28212), the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service) listed
polar bears as threatened under not currently exist for polar bears (MMPA) and the ESA. The MMPA
the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in Alaska, the SBS population is prohibits hunting of polar bears by
because of observed and forecasted estimated to be approximately 1,526 non-Natives, although Alaska Natives
evidence that circumpolar warming bears; the size of the CS population is are allowed to harvest some polar
is melting sea ice, the polar bears’ unknown. Globally, the total polar bear bears for subsistence and handicraft
primary habitat. Critical habitat population is estimated to be 20,000 to purposes. The Service is the Federal
was designated on December 7, 2010 25,000. agency responsible for managing polar
(Federal Register, vol. 75, p. 76086). bears in the U.S.
Threats
Habitat and Habits The main threat to polar bears is An international conservation
Polar bears’ primary habitat is sea ice, the loss of their sea ice habitat due agreement for polar bears signed in
which they depend on as a platform to circumpolar warming. Recorded 1976 by the U.S., Russia, Norway,
for hunting ice seals (their primary declines in sea ice have been Canada, and Denmark (Greenland)
prey), seasonal and long-distance correlated with declines in polar bear calls for cooperative management
movements, travel to terrestrial body condition, survival rates, and of polar bears. Another treaty, the
maternal denning areas, resting, and population size in portions of their Agreement between the Government
mating. Polar bears are not evenly range. The extent and duration of sea of the United States of America
distributed throughout the Arctic, ice is projected to continue to decline and the Government of the Russian
nor do they comprise a single nomadic into the foreseeable future. Polar Federation on the Conservation
population, but rather occur in 19 bear populations also are susceptible and Management of the Alaska-
relatively discrete subpopulations to other human-caused disturbances, Chukotka Polar Bear Population
throughout the ice-covered marine such as offshore development, (U.S.-Russia Agreement), covers
waters of the northern hemisphere. habitat alteration and human-caused the shared CS population of bears.
The U.S. contains portions of two mortality. Notably, the treaty calls for the
subpopulations: the Chukchi Sea (CS) active involvement of Native people
and the Southern Beaufort Sea (SBS) Management and Protection and their organizations in polar
subpopulation, shared with Russia In the U.S., polar bears are a federally bear management programs. It also
and Canada, respectively. Although protected species under the Marine enhances long-term cooperative
a precise population estimate does Mammal Protection Act of 1972 efforts such as conservation of
 Susi Miller / USFWS

ecosystems and important habitats, We are also crafting collaborative ■■ Worked with the Alaska Nanuuq
sustainable harvest allocations, management actions to effectively Commission to develop a draft
collection of biological information, and address identified threats, including shared harvest management
increased consultation and cooperation a strong outreach component to plan that balances Alaska Native
with State, local, and private interests. build on our existing partnerships subsistence needs with polar bear
with international and domestic conservation in the CS region.
A number of protective measures government agencies, Alaska Native
have been taken to reduce human organizations, industry, and non- ■■ Worked with the North Slope
activities along the coast in polar bear government organizations. We Borough and Canadian Inupiat/
denning areas, as the animals are most continue to implement conservation Inuvialuit commissioners to
sensitive to outside disturbances while actions to support our biological recommend a reduction in the
denning. For example, oil and gas objective. Those actions include SBS harvest quota from 80 to 70
activities have been modified to avoid engaging with international partners bears in recognition that the SBS
these areas. The Service also provides in Russia and Canada to manage population may be declining due
expertise to industries on how to shared populations; working with to reductions in the quantity and
minimize conflicts with bears while the Alaska Native community to quality of sea ice habitat.
conducting their operations. implement sustainable harvest
management strategies; and We recognize that addressing the
The Service’s overall conservation coordinating with industry to minimize primary threat of climate change
goal is to adaptively manage Alaska’s take associated with oil and gas offers the most hope for ensuring
polar bears in the face of projected operations in Alaska. For example, the polar bears remain a healthy part
climate change impacts so they remain Service has recently: of the Arctic ecosystem. Through
a healthy, resilient component of the continued cooperative management
CS and SBS ecosystems. In 2010, ■■ Worked with State and local with our partners, we hope that
we initiated a collaborative planning entities, oil and gas companies, these great marine mammals, and the
process with our conservation non-profit organizations, and unique Arctic environment on which
partners to develop a Conservation others to reduce human-bear they depend, can be protected for
and Management Plan (Plan) for conflicts by providing polar bear generations to come.
polar bears, as mandated by the ESA safety and deterrence training,
and MMPA. The Plan will include developing community-based For more information contact:
prioritized research and monitoring guidelines for bear viewing/ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
actions to address key uncertainties tourism, and creating standardized 1011 E Tudor Road
and build upon existing baseline data. curriculums for both polar bear Anchorage, Alaska 99503
For example, although we predict that deterrence and den detection (907) 786-3800
polar bear populations will suffer at survey methods. (800) 563-3148
a global level from loss of sea ice, the http://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/mmm/polarbear/pbmain.htm
specific response of polar bears at the ■■ Helped negotiate a first-ever
subpopulation level is less clear. harvest quota in the CS of 58
polar bears per year to be shared
between Natives in Alaska and
Russia under the U.S.-Russia
Agreement.

November 2014