WWF - 2013: The Year of the Polar Bear

New WWF web tool maps Arctic nature and activities

2013-05-13

As Arctic Council Ministers prepare to meet to outline priorities for the Council's next two years, WWF has released a mapping tool to help inform those priorities.

See the map at arkgis.org

The web-based map synthesises the latest Arctic research and helps answer questions such as where Arctic oil activity clashes with valuable biodiversity, and how the melting of the polar ice cap has influenced shipping routes.

By releasing a new web tool mapping both nature and activities, WWF hopes to be able to make relevant information universally available – in a very visible manner. "Arctic nature and peoples desperately need environmentally sustainable management practices. A well informed and active public can help push for such practices, and these maps can help in supplying that information. Everywhere in the world, good maps are preconditions for sound management and informed public debate about natural values and human activities," says Nina Jensen, CEO of WWF Norway.

The ArkGIS is a web based mapping system, allowing anyone to produce their own maps showing natural resources and updated overviews of activities like shipping or oil drilling. It allows any user to download pre-made maps and videos, as well as developing customized maps on their own, using an interactive map service. "One of the strengths of this tool is that both natural values and developments that may interfere with those values can be made visible on the same maps. Another strength is that we have comprehensive information covering the entire Arctic region – available for anyone with a computer and an Internet connection," says Lars Erik Mangset, WWF project lead for ArkGIS.

ArkGIS is a project initiated and managed by WWF, but it brings together data from a host of information providers, including several Arctic Council working groups, the Institute of Marine Research, and the Norwegian Coastal Administration. Map layers to date include 368 identified areas of heightened ecological significance, and Arctic ship traffic, ice coverage, and bathymetry. ArkGIS can be accessed at www.arkgis.org.

For more information, contact:
Lars Erik Mangset, WWF Norway
+ 47 – 93 20 94 94 email: lemangset@wwf.no

Martin Sommerkorn, WWF Global Arctic Program
+47 – 92 60 69 95 email: msommerkorn@wwf.no

Visit our website at panda.org/arctic

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Increasing bear/human conflict needs government intervention, say experts

2013-03-01

Hungry, climate-stressed polar bears are increasingly coming into conflict with people in some regions -- and nations will need to work together to fund and implement ways to keep both bears and people safe.

That's the conclusion of more than 30 leading polar bear experts from throughout the Arctic, who met this week at a WWF-organized polar bear/human conflict workshop in Tromsø, Norway.

"Polar bears have the capacity to surprise, and we still know relatively little about dealing with polar bear conflict", said workshop participant Doug Clark of the University of Saskatchewan.

Participants agreed the polar bear range states -- Canada, Norway, Greenland, Russia and the United States -- should cooperate to fund, monitor and share conflict reduction measures.

"We have an opportunity to develop plans and programs on the ground and across the Arctic ahead of anticipated increases in conflict situations," says Geoff York, WWF lead on polar bears. "As sea ice habitat continues to decline, more bears will spend longer periods of time onshore and human activities are also projected to increase in the area, setting the stage for trouble in the years ahead."

Participants shared conflict prevention ideas from around the pole, including:

Polar bear patrols engaging local people to help keep bears away from communities
Keeping attractants - trash, food - away from settled areas
Education on safety measures for living and working around polar bears
Deterrent effectiveness and application, like bear spray, non-lethal projectiles and new technologies
Physical barriers, like electric and fixed fences, and secure food storage
Behavioral approaches to better understand both bear and human dimensions, or to help make bears averse to humans
Deterring, relocating, or destroying problem bears.

The Range States polar bear conflict working group, also in attendance, plan to unveil a new data tracking system and draft conflict plan at the the next Polar Bear Range States meeting in Moscow this fall.

WWF recognizes 2013 as the Year of the Polar Bear, and is encouraging the range states to make firm commitments to polar bear conservation at the Moscow meeting.

The Tromsø meeting was partly funded by the joint WWF-Coca-Cola "Arctic Home" campaign.

For more information, contact:
Geoff York, WWF polar bear lead
Email
Mobile (+1) 613 299 2784

Clive Tesar, Head of communications, WWF Global Arctic Programme
Email
Mobile (+1) 613 883 3110

Visit our website at www.panda.org/arctic

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Safer communities, safer bears – workshop on reducing conflict between polar bears and humans

2013-02-12

Leading polar bear experts from throughout the Arctic will convene at a WWF-organized workshop in Tromsø to exchange knowledge and experiences in order to reduce the level of conflict between bears and humans. The three-day workshop will take place on 26th-28th February in the High North Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research.

Many remember the tragedy in 2011 when a 17-year-old British boy was killed and four others were seriously injured when a bear attacked a group on Svalbard. The bear also died as a result of th4e encounter. Unfortunately, conditions are increasingly facilitating the risk of such events, says WWF Norway's advisor for Arctic and northern regions, Nils Harley Boisen.

As a result of continuing loss of their preferred sea-ice habitat, it is expected that polar bears will spend more time on land. Here they are exposed to both nutritional stress and increasing human activity in the Arctic coastal areas. More people and more polar bears will likely be using the same coastal areas resulting in greater interaction between bears and humans.

To date, polar bear attacks occur rarely, but figures show a general trend toward more polar bear deaths due to people using guns to defend themselves from perceived threats.

But there are some bright spots – in the past year, a project in the Canadian community of Arviat helped bring defensive kills of polar bears from several each year to none. Similar projects in the Russian far northeast have also helped reduce conflict deaths and damages.

Workshop participants are coming from a variety of backgrounds: polar bear management, research, polar tourism, and representatives of local populations. The main findings of the workshop will be presented in a report, which will include specific recommendations for best management of polar bears in connection with minimization of conflict level, with special relevance for Svalbard, Norway.

We encourage anyone with experience in polar bear conflict issues to attend as an observer. Registration as an observer to the workshop is open until February 21st. Inquiries and questions should be addressed to

Nils Harley Boisen
WWF-Norway advisor for Arctic and northern regions
e-mail: nboisen@wwf.no
Telephone: + 47 980 82 101 (Oslo Time zone GMT+1)

Year of the Polar Bear kicks off with Ottawa scavenger hunt

2013-02-02

WWF is kicking off its "Year of the Polar Bear" at Winterlude, Ottawa's winter carnival, with an innovative scavenger hunt. Inspired by WWF-supported projects to track polar bears by satellite, five small ice sculptures of polar bears are hidden around the city, each representing one of the five countries where polar bears are normally found - Canada, Norway, Russia, the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States.

Visitors using smartphones can "tag" the small ice sculptures on the Icebear Tracker site at panda.org/icebear. With each successful tag, participants learn more about these Arctic icons. People who find all five are eligible to win fun prizes, such as lunch with a polar bear biologist.

"GPS technology allows researchers to study where polar bears go and how they behave - which in turn helps improve sustainable management of the species." says Geoff York, WWF's polar bear specialist. "The Icebear Tracker uses the same technology - we hope it will be a fun way to learn about and celebrate polar bear conservation."

The Year of the Polar Bear is WWF's recognition of forty years of international efforts to secure a future for the bears, and a look ahead to the challenges of the next forty years. 2013 is the 40th anniversary of the International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears, a circumpolar effort that brought polar bear populations back from a worrisome decline. Today, however, a rapidly warming Arctic means the sea ice upon which the bears depend is shrinking. WWF is working with partners across the Arctic to combat threats to the region and to preserve its rich biodiversity to the benefit of local peoples and the global community.

Learn more

WWF thanks the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Ottawa and Environment Canada for their contributions to this project.

WWF Celebrates the Year of the Polar Bear

2013-01-15

WWF, the world's leading conservation organization, is proclaiming 2013 The Year of the Polar Bear.

"This is a key year for polar bears," says Geoff York, WWF's international lead on polar bears. "While polar bears and their Arctic home face a challenging future, we need to recognize, and celebrate, the conservation achievements to date."

2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears - a concerted international action to protect this magnificent species and its habitat. Due in large part to the Agreement and efforts by the five polar bear range states - Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United States - polar bears still roam much of their historic range and occur in relatively large numbers today.
At the same time, the bears stand on the brink of an uncertain future. A rapidly warming Arctic means the sea ice upon which the bears depend is projected to dramatically shrink over the next several decades due to climate change.

It's time for the range states to prepare for the new challenges ahead, says York. "The range states have an opportunity in 2013 to repeat the successes of the past 40 years. By committing to habitat protection, addressing climate change, managing harvest, mitigating Arctic industrial development and funding polar bear research, these countries can ensure polar bear populations remain healthy for the next 40 years and beyond."

Over the course of the year, WWF will support polar bear research projects around the Arctic and encourage firm conservation commitments at this autumn's pivotal meeting of the range states.

WWF works to protect critical habitat for polar bears, including important movement corridors and denning habitats, and to prevent or remove additional stressors from industrial activity such as oil and gas development and arctic shipping. WWF also supports community involvement in conservation and management and monitors the setting of harvest levels by the responsible authorities.

Learn more
http://panda.org/polarbearyear

More information
Sue Novotny
Communications Officer, WWF Global Arctic Programme
O:1.613.232.2508
M:1.613.406.0812
Email

About WWF's Global Arctic Programme
WWF is working with its many partners – governments, business and communities – across the Arctic to combat these threats and preserve the region's rich biodiversity. The WWF Global Arctic Programme has coordinated WWF's work in the Arctic since 1992. We work through offices in six Arctic countries, with experts in circumpolar issues like governance, climate change, fisheries, oil and gas and polar bears.
http://panda.org/arctic

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
www.panda.org

Canadian polar bear pride can drive positive change at home and in the north

2013-01-14

Polar bear pride runs strong and free from coast-to-coast in Canada. According to a recent poll by Coca-Cola Canada, 61 per cent of Canadians consider the polar bear to be a symbol of national pride. To help make a positive impact on this important northern species, Coca-Cola Canada is once again joining with WWF to make #everyactionmatter.

For the second year, Coca-Cola Canada and WWF Canada are teaming up to support Arctic Home, a five year commitment focused on conserving polar bears and their habitat. As part of this effort, WWF is working with Northern peoples to develop a plan for the Last Ice Area, an area of summer sea ice high in the Arctic that is expected to be the most resilient as the Arctic warms. The Last Ice Area could cover close to 1.4 million square kilometers – twice the size of Manitoba. With strong conservation planning, the region can offer both polar bears and local communities a healthy future.

"We are proud to continue our commitment to Arctic Home and build on the success of last year's campaign to support the Last Ice Area," said Nicola Kettlitz, President of Coca-Cola Ltd. "We want Canadians to know that every action matters when it comes to climate change, and that by working together we can ensure there is a place where polar bears and Northern communities will thrive for generations to come."

In addition to the $2 million Coca-Cola has committed over the next five years to polar bear conservation, 5 per cent of the proceeds from specially marked 12- and 15-packs in Canada, up to $235,000, will be donated to Arctic Home. This investment will continue to help advance research and build relationships to understand the impacts of climate change on Arctic habitats.

Arctic Home Funds at Work
Since launching the campaign in October 2011, WWF has invested more than $2 million into conservation programs and research, such as surveying polar bear population sizes and trends, mapping polar bear denning sites and better understanding the sea-ice ecosystem. Funding is also being used to refine modeling processes to help predict future ice conditions, organize workshops with local communities and governments, and generate more support and awareness for conservation.

WWF's work in the Arctic seeks to combine local traditional knowledge with new science and research. Arctic Home will help advance WWF's vision for an Arctic with stable ecosystems, viable populations of wildlife and a sustainable use of natural resources.

"Coca-Cola Canada and WWF's partnership is about working together to conserve one of the most important places on our planet," said Martin von Mirbach, Director, Arctic Program, WWF-Canada. "The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the global average, but with the support of Coca-Cola and Canadians, the Last Ice Area can help chart a future for sustainable northern communities and ecosystems."

Show Your Polar Bear Pride
The combined donations of Coca-Cola Canada and Canadians in the first year of Arctic Home proved that change can happen when everyone works together. For year two, Canadians can visit www.livepositively.ca/ArcticHome between January 14 and March 31 to pledge their support to make changes in their daily lives that can inspire and incite collective action. From committing to wash laundry in cold water to taking public transit to work at least one day a week, the whole family can get involved and take a stand for the polar bears' home.

The Arctic Home website will be a portal to learn more about the polar bear and the Last Ice Area. Visitors can find information about the Coca-Cola Canada / WWF Canada partnership and local events, share content, make a pledge to take action, see what other Canadians are doing and donate directly to the effort.

The Arctic Home program extends The Coca-Cola Company's support of WWF's polar bear conservation efforts, and builds upon the two organizations' global freshwater conservation partnership. Together, the Company and WWF have worked to conserve freshwater resources around the world, use water more efficiently and cut down carbon emissions in the Company's manufacturing operations. Joining WWF's Climate Savers program in 2008, Coca Cola's global commitment will prevent the release of more than 2 million metric tons of CO2 in 2015 – the equivalent of planting 600,000 acres of trees. Additionally, the broader partnership works to promote sustainable agriculture in the Company's supply chain. By combining international strengths and resources, the Company and WWF are able to go beyond what each organization could achieve on its own.

Arctic Home is another expression of The Coca-Cola Company's commitment to make a positive difference in the world through sustainable business practices. For more information, visit www.livepositively.ca/ArcticHome.

About WWF
WWF is creating solutions to the most serious conservation challenges facing our planet, helping people and nature thrive. www.wwf.ca

About Coca-Cola Canada
Coca-Cola in Canada operates in all ten provinces, and employs 6,300 people in more than 50 facilities, including seven production facilities across Canada. We offer a wide variety of beverage brands, many of which come in no-calorie and low-calorie options. These beverages include sparkling soft drinks, still waters, juices and fruit beverages, sports drinks, energy drinks and ready-to-drink teas. We're proud to offer some of the most popular brands in Canada including Coca-Cola®, Diet Coke®, Coca-Cola Zero®, Sprite®, Fanta®, Nestea®, PowerAde®, Minute Maid®, Dasani® and vitaminwater®. Coca-Cola in Canada is represented by Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada and Coca-Cola Ltd. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at www.livepositively.ca or www.cocacola.ca.

Survey Methodology
The survey was completed online from December 4th to December 6th, 2012 using Leger Marketing's online panel, LegerWeb, with a sample of 1,500 Canadians, 18 years of age or older. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of ±2.5%, 19 times out of 20.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Jordana Wolch or Anne Locke
Environics Communications
416-969-2666 or 416-969-2714
jwolch@environicspr.com or alocke@environicspr.com

Shannon Denny
Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada
(416) 424-6373
sdenny@coca-cola.com

Riannon John
WWF
416-347-1894
rjohn@wwfcanada.org

Wildlife trade experts say climate, not commercial trade, is primary threat to polar bears

2012-10-29

A new report from the wildlife trade monitoring organization TRAFFIC concludes that the major threat to polar bears is not international commercial trade, but habitat loss due the rapid melting of their preferred sea ice habitat.

"Icon on Ice: International Trade and Management of Polar Bears" gathers the best available information on the legal market for polar bear skins and other parts, and has been peer reviewed by international experts.

Download the report

"The retreat of sea-ice habitat, driven by runaway global climate change, is by far the leading threat to polar bears", says WWF polar bear specialist Geoff York. "The most urgent need for polar bear conservation at this time is an effective and strong climate change deal that keeps global average temperature increases under 2 degrees C and sets a clear path towards an equitable and sustainable low carbon economy."

Countries with polar bear populations are committed by international treaty to conserve polar bears and protect their habitat, and have identified climate change as the primary threat to address.

The TRAFFIC report makes recommendations to ensure trade remains sustainable, including better monitoring of polar bear populations, and improvements in trade data reporting and tracking, education, and enforcement to prevent illegal trade and poaching.

Disappearing polar bear dens on Svalbard

2012-07-16

Svalbard, Norway - In what was historically a prime spot for polar bears to build dens and give birth, researchers are finding far fewer dens -- and changes in sea ice are responsible.

In research supported by WWF, scientists from the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) found that the number of dens on Kongsøya, a particularly important denning area in Norway's Svalbard islands, has fallen sharply in the past few years.

Three years ago, winter sea ice arrived at Kongsøya in mid-October, and researchers found 25 dens. But this year, the ice didn't come until early December -- and the dens numbered only five.

Female bears can travel vast distances across the ice from their hunting grounds to mountain slopes to find a perfect denning spot. When sea ice appears by early November, says NPI researcher Jon Aars, most bears will succeed.

"In years when sea ice appears late, bears may have trouble getting there in time."

A similar reduction in dens was found in a study on Hopen Island, to the south.

The full impact of later ice arrival on polar bear denning isn't yet clear, says Aars. Bears that can't reach Hopen or Kongsøya could be waiting a year to raise cubs, or just finding an alternative place to den.

NPI is monitoring a number of Svalbard polar bears with radio collars. This data will help the researchers understand the potential cost of sea ice changes, from added energy expenditure to disruption of the bears' timing and success in raising cubs.

Melting ice linked to polar bear cub mortality as moms swim farther

2011-07-20

Study represents the first empirical research to find a significant, increasing trend in polar bear long-distance swimming

Sea ice loss from climate change is causing polar bears to swim longer distances to find stable ice or to reach land, resulting in greater risk to their cubs, according to a new paper co-authored by a WWF expert.

"Climate change is pulling the sea ice out from under polar bears' feet, forcing some to swim longer distances to find food and habitat," said Geoff York, WWF Polar Bear Expert who is an author of the study.

"This research is the first analysis to identify a significant multi-year trend of increased long-distance swimming by polar bears. Prior research had only reported on single incidents," said York.

U.S. Geological Survey biologist and lead author Anthony Pagano will present the study ("Long-distance swimming events by adult female polar bears in the southern Beaufort and Chukchi Seas") on July 19 at the International Bear Association (IBA) Conference held in Ottawa, Canada.

Between 2004 and 2009 researchers collected data from 68 GPS collars deployed on adult female polar bears, in combination with satellite imagery of sea ice, to identify incidences of bears swimming more than 30 miles at a time. Researchers identified 50 long-distance swimming events during the six year period involving 20 polar bears. Swimming events ranged in distance up to 426 miles and in duration up to 12.7 days.

Eleven of the polar bears that swam long distances had young cubs at the time of collar deployment; five of those bears lost their cubs during swimming -- a 45% morality rate. In contrast, only 18% of cubs died that were not compelled to swim long distances with their mother.

New book celebrates the natural history of polar bears

2011-06-07

A new book by well-known polar bear scientist, arctic ecologist and long-time WWF advisor, Dr Ian Stirling, compresses the major discoveries of the last 40 years of research on polar bears into a comprehensive book about the ecology and natural history of polar bears.

The book, 'Polar Bears, a Natural History of a Threatened Species', explains how polar bears evolved, how researchers study them, aspects of their behaviour, how they prey and live on marine mammals for their survival, how seals and bears have evolved in response to each other, and how, specifically, they have come to threatened by global warming.

In a separate chapter, Dr Stirling also explains why the polar bears in Hudson Bay, Canada, have become so important to our understanding of the species, and how Churchill, Manitoba, became 'the Polar Bear Capital of the World'.

Monte Hummel, President Emeritus of WWF Canada, was full of praise for the book. He said: "For over thirty years now, whenever there is debate over polar bears, I have turned to Ian Stirling not just for definitive facts and figures, but for genuine wisdom and perspective. To work with Ian in the field is to experience a man entirely at home in the arctic environment, not unlike the bears he knows so well."

Dr Thor S. Larsen, founding member of the IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group and formerly of the Norwegian Polar Institute, said this is the best book ever to be written about polar bears: "We are blessed with the opportunity to benefit from Ian Stirling's extensive knowledge and life-long experience with this magnificent animal.

"He shows us that the far North is not a barren and hostile environment, but unique and beautiful. The new knowledge presented in this book is crucial for conservation and management of Arctic nature and its polar bears."

Robert Buchanan, president of Polar Bears International, said: "Ian Stirling's groundbreaking studies of polar bears laid much of the foundation for both current research on the species and our present day understanding of them.

"No one can now look at these highly intelligent, threatened creatures without worrying about a world that could cause their possible extinction - and wondering how we have allowed it to come to this point. We must take action. As this book clearly illustrates, their loss would be our loss as well."

For more information about the book, visit the publishers page.

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Observing polar bears and their cubs: WWF on ABC's Nightline

2011-05-10

WWF-Canada's Senior Species Officer, Dr Peter Ewins, appeared last week on ABC Nightline's Into the Wild series, when they featured the polar bear maternity denning habitat of Wapusk National Park in Canada in a segment called Newborn polar pears - a rare glimpse.

The segment showed beautiful footage of some very small and cute polar bear cubs and their mother emerging from their maternity den, plus interviews with Pete Ewins and other polar bear experts who were working in Wapusk National Park on a field trip, observing denning polar bears.

Watch the video below:

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Study predicts climate change impacts on polar bear litter size

2011-02-09

A new study, published in the Nature Communications journal, has predicted decreases in polar bear litter size due to loss of sea ice. The study reports that if sea ice in the west Hudson Bay decreases as anticipated, failure to reproduce could jeopardise polar bear population viability.

When little food is available, polar bears are known to rely on stores of energy for survival and reproduction. The reliance on energy stores in pregnant females however, limits the survival rates of their cubs. Using data obtainable under current conditions, the authors show 28% of pregnant females failed to reproduce due to energetic reasons during the 1990's.

They then use predictive modelling to suggest that 40-73% of pregnant females could fail to reproduce in the same way if spring sea ice break-up occurs 1 month earlier than during the 1990's and 55-100% if break-up occurs 2 months earlier.

The authors suggest that their finding may also apply to populations outside the western Hudson Bay area, however they caution that the expected time-line for declines in litter size may vary with different climate models' predictions about sea ice loss.

Read the full article in the Nature Communications online journal.

Polar bears 'spotted swimming with cubs on back'

2010-11-30

Polar bears have been spotted carrying their cubs on their backs while they swim through icy waters, according to an article in UK online newspaper the Telegraph.

According to the article, the practice is thought to be the result of the bears having to swim longer distances in the sea because of recent reductions in the arctic summer sea ice.

This claim supports research conducted by the Norwegian Polar Institute, which says that travelling on the mother's back could be vital for the survival of polar bear cubs during swims in waters surrounding scattered sea ice, which is prime seal-hunting territory for the animals.

Geoff York, WWF's polar bear conservation coordinator, says this behaviour by polar bears and their cubs is likely not new, it has just not been documented before.

"Cubs travelling on their mothers' backs in the water is not a new behaviour related to global climate change, and will [unfortunately] not likely help cubs over longer distance swims or multi day trips, which are linked to global climate change and have become more common for polar bears," York explained.

On short trips through icy seawater, this behaviour, however could benefit the young polar bears, who have not built up a sufficient layer of fat to stop them getting cold if they are swimming in the sea for a prolonged period of time.

Read the full Telegraph article.

Bad news for polar bears as sea ice hits new record low

2010-07-09

WWF is concerned for polar bear populations in the Arctic after a National Snow and Ice Data Centre report that Arctic sea ice reached new record lows in the month of June.

According to the NSIDC report: "[i]n June, ice extent declined by 88,000 kilometres per day, more than 50% greater than the average rate of 53,000 kilometers (20,000 square miles) per day. This rate of decline is the fastest measured for June."

WWF US Climate Change Communications Director, Nicholas Sundt, wrote on the WWF US climate blog that the average sea ice extent was the lowest for any June in the satellite record, which extends back to 1979. As he explained, the NSIDC has reported that the "linear rate of monthly decline for June over the 1979 to 2010 period is now 3.5% per decade".

To put the situation in perspective:

The average arctic sea ice extent was 1.29 million square kilometres (498,000 square miles) below the 1979 to 2000 average. That departure from average is equivalent to the areas of California, Texas and Florida combined.
The daily decline in sea ice extent (averaging 88,000 kilometers or 34,000 square miles per day) was a daily decline greater than the area of South Carolina.

WWF is currently following a number of bears in the Arctic region on the WWF-Canon Polar Bear Tracker, including bears in Svalbard in Norway, the Hudson Bay and Southern Beaufort Sea in Canada. These bears rely on sea ice for many aspects of their survival.

According to WWF Canada's director of species conservation, Pete Ewins, extremely high temperatures in southern Canada this week are paralleled by relatively high temperatures in Churchill in the West Hudson Bay, with 17C daily temperatures recorded this week, compared with a July monthly mean of 12C.

This spells problems for all polar bears in the region, including the bears that WWF is currently following in the Hudson Bay area, Dr Ewins said.

"Our three bears here are still clinging to the remaining patch [of sea ice] north of Churchill - where they may well be catching some inexperienced young seals resting at the edge of chunks of sea-ice. But 3 other satellite collared females in this subpopulation are already ashore (this is a good 3 weeks ahead of the July average date ashore - July 25th, reflecting the rapid early retreat of the sea-ice this year), and now trying hard to conserve as much energy as possible in these sweltering conditions. This all means more polar bear stored fat burned up, and increasing mortality/declining body condition if the ice continues to be later to re-form in November.

"Given the weather forecast for the next few days, we are expecting our three females and their cubs to be heading for shore within the next week."

Dr Andrew Derocher of the University of Alberta, who works with WWF to monitor the Hudson Bay bears, said:

"We have 3 collared bears ashore in Western Hudson Bay. The average date since 2005 [for the bears we are studying to come ashore is July 25 so if we translate the 18 extra days, it means the bears will use up about 14 kg extra fat this year IF they get back on a normal date.

"If freeze up is delayed like last year, some bears will experience a fasting period of over 160 days. [Research] suggests this sort of period will result in a major jump in mortality. I guess we have to hope for an early freeze-up or that the bears managed to get lots of seals before they were forced ashore."

Follow the Hudson Bay bears' progress on the WWF-Canon Polar Bear Tracker

Read Nick Sundt's full blog post on June sea ice figures on the WWF US climate blog

Russia to create new national parks and reserves nearly size of Switzerland

2010-07-06

Polar bears, walruses, sea otters, and other endangered species are all set to benefit from a Russian decision to boost its national protected areas to nearly 3 percent of its territory by 2020, a move which helps the country to meet its international obligations to protect biodiversity.

The Russian government's decision establishes 9 new nature reserves and 13 national parks covering a total area of over 3.8 million ha by 2020. Russia is also introducing marine buffer zones of over 1 million ha.

"For the first time, development of protected areas in Russia will be based on the analysis of all available data on biological diversity of Russia", said Vladimir Krever, WWF-Russia biodiversity coordinator.

"The creation of protected areas is crucial to save Russia's diverse and unique biodiversity," he added.

An existing 9 reserves and 1 national park will see their areas increased by 500 thousand ha.
The decision was based on an analysis of WWF in cooperation with The Nature Coservancy and MAVA Foundation, carried out between 2006-2008, and is aimed at fulfilling Russia's commitment under the Convention on Biodiversity to establish effective protected area systems that safeguard biodiversity.

The UN has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity, culminating in October at the 10th Conference of the Parties in Nagoya. WWF is calling on governments in Nagoya to adopt a clear roadmap and allocate additional financing to halt biodiversity loss by 2020.

Stopping the loss of the planet's biodiversity should be given the highest priority by governments because it is the foundation for human life providing food, medicine and clean water as well as reducing the impact of natural disasters and climate change. Natural habitats and species underpin the global economy and directly supports billions of people who dependent on forests, fisheries and wetlands for their livelihoods.

In 2002 governments pledged to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 but despite individual conservation successes, such as in Russia, governments have not met their commitment and biodiversity continues to be lost at alarming rates, international studies show.

"We need to understand that protecting biodiversity means not only protecting nature but also our economy and wellbeing. " By allowing biodiversity loss to continue we are undermining our future ," said Rolf Hogan, Biodiversity Manager at WWF International .

Over 300 experts provided original data for the analysis and took part in the discussion. On the basis of this data WWF assessed representativeness of the existing system of federal protected areas and worked out a framework for its further development.

As a result, WWF recommended the creation of 70 extra nature reserves and 71 national parks in Russia. Experience has shown that creating more than 2 federal protected areas a year is difficult, so implementation of WWF recommendations will be extended over a few decades. WWF through its members and corporate partners will raise funds to help the Ministry implement the framework.

Rapid changes for arctic flora and fauna

2010-05-28

Unique arctic flora and fauna habitats have been disappearing, some characteristic arctic species are in decline and changes in arctic diversity are creating global repercussions and challenges for Indigenous arctic people, according to a report issued by the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna Working Group under the Arctic Council.

The report, Arctic Biodiversity Trends – 2010: Selected Indicators of Change, synthesises scientific findings on the status and trends for selected biodiversity in the Arctic.

WWF arctic species expert, Geoff York, said the report once again sounds the alarm bells on climate change and the continuing rapid impacts on arctic wildlife, ecosystems and people, many with global repercussions.

"From the continued loss of sea ice habitat for polar bears to the northward-shifting tree line and concurrent loss of permafrost peat lands, the Arctic as we know it is in trouble," he said.

"This new summary outlines a series of selected indicators across the Arctic and examines threats from climate change, to industrial expansion, unsustainable harvest, and contaminants. It represents a first look at what will be a much more in-depth examination of arctic biodiversity assessment due to follow in 2013.

"Let's hope this interim report provides the additional push for much-needed climate change legislation, conservation planning, and arctic governance agreements today."

The Arctic Biodiversity Trends 2010 report, produced by some of the world's leading experts of arctic ecosystems and biodiversity, is the Arctic Council's contribution to the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity in 2010 and will be a preliminary product under the Arctic Council project 'Arctic Biodiversity Assessment'.

In 2008, the United Nations Environment Programme passed a resolution expressing 'extreme concern' over the impacts of climate change on arctic indigenous peoples, other communities, and biodiversity. It highlighted the potentially significant consequences of changes in the Arctic. The Arctic Biodiversity Trends – 2010: Selected Indicators of Change report indicates that some of those anticipated impacts on Arctic biodiversity are already occurring.

For more information and to read or download a copy of the report, visit the official Arctic Biodiversity Trends 2010 website.

CITES votes against polar bear trade restrictions

2010-03-21

Countries involved in the meeting of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) have voted not to move polar bears to a category that would further restrict trade in the species. The decision is in accordance with the analysis by WWF that polar bears do not meet the criteria for such a move.

"Polar bear populations do need protection," said Geoff York, polar bear coordinator for WWF, "but a change in their CITES status will not give them the protection they need today. The world's foremost polar bear experts, the polar bear specialist group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, have clearly told us that the major threat to polar bears is loss of their sea ice habitat due to climate change. That is where we should concentrate our efforts to maintain healthy polar bear populations."

WWF is continuing its work to persuade governments to agree to further reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce climate impacts. We are also working with local communities in the Arctic to try to reduce conflict between people and bears, as the bears are being seen in increasing numbers in northern communities.

Tigres, osos polares y atunes de aleta azul entre las especies más amenazadas

2009-12-03

El cambio climático surge como una amenaza adicional a la pérdida del hábitat y a la cacería en la lista "Diez especies que se deben vigilar en 2010" de WWF.

WASHINGTON D.C.--- El 2 de diciembre, WWF, la organización mundial de conservación, anunció su lista anual de algunas de las especies más amenazadas en el mundo, indicando que la supervivencia de muchos animales es cada vez más preocupante debido a una serie de retos, incluyendo cambio climático, y pide se aumenten los esfuerzos de conservación.

La lista "Diez especies que se deben vigilar en 2010" incluye a especies como el tigre, el oso polar, el panda y el rinoceronte, así como especies menos conocidas como el atún de aleta azul y los gorilas de montaña. WWF dice que estas y muchas otras especies se encuentran más amenazadas que nunca por la pérdida de su hábitat, por la cacería y por desafíos relacionados al cambio climático. La lista de este año incluye cinco especies directamente impactadas por el cambio climático. La mariposa monarca, es una especie que se encuentra en el foco de un fenómeno biológico amenazado. Los tigres encabezan la lista de este año, lo que coincide con el Año del Tigre en febrero de 2010.

"Tenemos una oportunidad única para evitar que algunos de los animales más esplendidos del mundo se extingan", dijo la Dra. Sybille Klenzendorf, Directora de Conservación de Especies de WWF. "Exhortamos a todos aquellos que quieran vivir en un mundo donde existan los tigres, osos polares y pandas, tomen como resolución de año nuevo el salvar a estos increíbles y amenazados animales antes de que sea demasiado tarde".

La lista "Diez especies que se deben vigilar en 2010" de WWF incluye:

Tigre
Estudios recientes indican que puede haber tan solo 3.200 tigres (Panthera tigris) en su hábitat natural. Los tigres ocupan menos del 7% del rango original, el cual ha disminuido en 40% durante los últimos 10 años. La acelerada deforestación y la cacería desmedida pueden conllevar a la extinción del tigre, como sucedió con el tigre de Java y de Bali. Los tigres son cazados porque algunas partes de sus cuerpos son utilizadas para la medicina tradicional China, al mismo tiempo que sus pieles son altamente cotizadas en el mercado. Adicionalmente, el aumento del nivel del mar, debido al cambio climático, amenaza el hábitat de manglares de la población clave de tigres de la India y Bangladesh. El Año del Tigre, en 2010, será un año muy importante para los esfuerzos de conservación de los tigres, donde WWF juega un papel importante en la implementación de nuevas estrategias para salvar a este gran felino del Asia.

Oso Polar
El oso polar del Ártico (Ursus maritimus) se ha convertido en un símbolo icónico de las victimas afectadas por la pérdida de hábitat debido al cambio climático. Clasificada como una especie en peligro, por el Acta de Especies Amenazadas de los Estados Unidos, el oso polar se podría extinguir para el próximo siglo, si las tendencias de calentamiento en el Ártico continúan a la misma velocidad. WWF apoya investigaciones de campo para entender como el cambio climático afecta a los osos polares y desarrollar estrategias de adaptación. Para proteger el hábitat del oso polar, WWF trabaja con gobiernos e industrias a fin de reducir amenazas provenientes del transporte así como de la explotación de gas y petróleo en la región y con comunidades locales para reducir encuentros conflictivos entre humanos y osos, en aéreas donde estos se encuentran atrapados en tierra por periodos más largos, debido a la falta de hielo.

Morsa del Pacífico
El mar de Chuckchi y el mar de Bering en el Ártico son el hogar de la morsa del Pacífico (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), una de las víctimas del cambio climático. En septiembre de este año, se encontraron cerca de 200 morsas muertas en la costa del mar Chuckchi en las costas de Alaska. Estos animales dependen de las capas de hielo flotante para descansar, dar a luz, amamantar y proteger a sus crías de los depredadores. Con el derretimiento del hielo en el Ártico, esta especie esta perdiendo su hábitat de tal forma que ya podría añadirse en el Acta de Especies Amenazadas de los Estados Unidos, según el Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de EE.UU.

Pingüino de Magallanes
Amenazados anteriormente por derrames de petróleo, los pingüinos de Magallanes (Spheniscus magellanicus), ahora confrontan una amenaza más grande debido a que los peces son desplazados por corrientes oceánicas cálidas, forzando a esta ave a desplazarse más lejos para encontrar alimento. El año pasado cientos de pingüinos de Magallanes llegaron a playas de Rio de Janeiro, muchos muertos o moribundos. Los científicos especulan que cambios en las corrientes o en las temperaturas, relacionadas con el cambio climático, pueden ser la causa por la cual estos llegaron a playas que se encuentran a más de mil millas hacia el Norte de su área tradicional de anidación, en el Sur de Argentina. Actualmente, 12 de las 17 especies de pingüinos están experimentando una rápida disminución en sus poblaciones.

Tortuga Laúd o Baula
La tortuga laúd o baula (Dermochelys coriaceathe) es la tortuga marina más grande y uno de los reptiles que ha vivido durante más tiempo, sobreviviendo por más de cientos de millones de años, pero ahora se encuentra bajo grave peligro de extinción. Estimaciones recientes indican que su población está declinando, particularmente en el Pacífico donde se estima que solo quedan 2.300 tortugas hembras, convirtiendo a la laúd del Pacífico en la tortuga marina más amenazada en todo el mundo. En el Atlántico, esta tortuga tiene una población más estable, pero los científicos predicen su rápida declinación debido al gran número de tortugas que mueren al ser capturadas incidentalmente por embarcaciones de pesca.

Una amenaza adicional a las tortugas y a sus nidos es el aumento en el nivel del mar así como temperaturas más altas en las playas del Atlántico. Las temperaturas en los nidos afectan significativamente el sexo de las tortugas; con el registro de temperaturas más altas se ha observado una gran reducción en el número de tortugas macho. El objetivo de WWF es proteger la ruta migratoria de la tortuga laúd, trabajando con pescadores para reducir la pesca incidental; proteger playas de anidación prioritarias y crear consciencia para que las comunidades locales ayuden a proteger a las tortugas y a sus nidos.

Atún de Aleta Azul
El atún de aleta azul (Thunnus thynnus) es un pez migratorio de gran tamaño que se encuentra en el Este y Oeste del Atlántico y en el Mar Mediterráneo. El atún de aleta azul es utilizado en la preparación de sushi de primera calidad. Muy cerca de colapsar, su especie está en alto riesgo de extinción si continúan las prácticas de pesca no sustentables en el Atlántico y en el Mediterráneo. La prohibición temporal del comercio internacional del atún de aleta azul podría permitir la recuperación de esta especie sobreexplotada. WWF está pidiendo a restaurantes, chefs, comerciantes y consumidores que dejen de ofrecer, comprar, vender y consumir atún de aleta azul hasta que demuestre signos de recuperación.

Gorila de Montaña
Los científicos consideran que el gorila de montaña (Gorilla beringei beringei) es una subespecie de gorila en peligro crítico de extinción, con solo 720 sobreviviendo en su hábitat natural. Más de 200 viven en el Parque Nacional Virunga, localizado en el Este de la República Democrática del Congo, en la frontera con Ruanda y Uganda. Conflictos de guerra en áreas cercanas al parque han aumentado su cacería y pérdida de su hábitat. Gracias a los esfuerzos de conservación durante los últimos 12 años en Virunga, la población de gorilas ha aumentado en 14%, así como en un 12%, en el bosque impenetrable de Bwindi, en Uganda, considerado el segundo hogar de estos gorilas.

Mariposa Monarca
Cada año millones de delicadas mariposas monarcas (Danaus plexippus) emigran de Canadá y del Norte de los Estados Unidos para pasar el invierno en los bosques de México. La conservación y protección efectiva del bosque de oyamel y pino de altitud en México es esencial para la supervivencia de los sitios de hibernación de las mariposas monarcas, lo que se ha reconocido como un fenómeno biológico en peligro de extinción. La protección de sus hábitats reproductivos en los Estados Unidos y Canadá, es igualmente crucial para salvar la migración de esta especie, considerado como uno de los fenómenos naturales más impresionantes del planeta.

WWF, en colaboración con el Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, ha diseñado una estrategia de conservación innovadora para proteger y restaurar el hábitat de hibernación de las mariposas monarcas en México, a fin de que estén protegidas de climas extremos y otras amenazas. WWF está también apoyando a comunidades locales para establecer invernaderos de árboles que se han reintroducido a la reserva de la mariposa monarca, creando al mismo tiempo nuevas fuentes de ingreso para los dueños del bosque.

Rinoceronte de Java
Enlistado en estado crítico de extinción en la Lista Roja del UICN (2009), el rinoceronte de Java (Rhinoceros sondaicus) es considerado el mamífero más grande en peligro de extinción a nivel mundial; se conocen únicamente dos sitios donde este vive en su hábitat natural, con una población total de 60 animales. Cotizado a un alto precio por su uso en la medicina tradicional China, la población de los rinocerontes de Java también se ha disminuido por la conversión de su hábitat de bosque a campos agrícolas. WWF ha estado involucrado en la protección y conservación del rinoceronte de Java desde 1998, apoyando a guardabosques para aumentar el patrullaje y las actividades de protección, desarrollando sondeos de la población de rinocerontes, creando consciencia sobre la importancia de los rinocerontes entre las comunidades locales y apoyando el manejo y administración de parques. El mes pasado, con la ayuda de perros altamente entrenados para olfatear, WWF encontró huellas del único y extraño Rinoceronte de Java vietnamés, del cual se piensa que existen no más de doce ejemplares.

Panda Gigante
El panda gigante (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), símbolo internacional de conservación de WWF desde su fundación en 1961, enfrenta un futuro incierto, con menos de 2.500 ejemplares en su hábitat natural. Su hábitat forestal en las montañas Sud occidentales de China se ha fragmentado, ocasionando su separación y detrimento poblacional. WWF ha estado colaborando en la conservación del panda gigante durante casi tres décadas, conduciendo estudios de campo, trabajando en la protección de hábitats, y más recientemente, apoyando al Gobierno Chino en el establecimiento de un programa para la protección del panda y su hábitat a través de la creación de reservas.

Acerca de WWF
WWF Bolivia, la organización de conservación, tiene el objetivo de contribuir a la conservación de la Amazonia y el Pantanal, promover y generar oportunidades económicas sostenibles para sus habitantes y el país.

WWF trabaja por un planeta vivo y su misión es detener la degradación ambiental de la Tierra y construir un futuro en el que el ser humano viva en armonía con la naturaleza:

conservando la diversidad biológica mundial,
asegurando que el uso de los recursos naturales renovables sea sostenible y
promoviendo la reducción de la contaminación y del consumo desmedido.

Alaska critical habitat for polar bears declared

2009-10-23

WWF applauds the announcement today of the proposed designation of key areas of polar bear habitat across Alaska by the US Department of the Interior. 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 approximately 200,541 square miles and is found entirely within the lands and waters of the United States.

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.

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% 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."

Arctic warming sees more polar bear populations threatened

2009-07-07

The world's top experts have just confirmed that Arctic warming is continuing its ravages of polar bear populations. The Polar Bear Specialist Group of the International Union of the Conservation of Nature has added to its list of declining polar bear populations.

"There is a disturbing downward trend apparent in world polar bear populations," says Geoff York, polar bear coordinator for WWF International's Arctic Programme. "In 2005, there were five declining populations – now there are eight. The experts have clearly identified climate change as the major culprit, but they are also optimistic that these trends can be reversed, given timely and effective action on greenhouse gas emissions."

The main effect of warming on the bears is that their hunting is restricted by a lack of sea ice. The bears use the ice as a platform from which they can hunt seals, their favourite prey. Research has shown a definite link between the time the bears have to stay on land, and a decline in health, and in the numbers of cubs that survive.

At a meeting in Norway earlier this year, representatives of the countries that are home to polar bears agreed to refer the climate change problem to the UN-sponsored climate negotiations. WWF continues to push those countries to live up to the treaty they signed in 1973, obliging them to protect polar bear habitat.