New support for polar bears and tigers

Abstract

Two events have bolstered conservation efforts. Nigel Williams reports. Two events have bolstered conservation efforts. Nigel Williams reports. Two iconic threatened mammals won improved protection in different moves last month but conservationists were concerned that even more will be needed to help secure the future for polar bears and tigers. The Obama administration announced that an area of more than 187,000 square miles of mostly ice off the north coast of Alaska is now designated as a protected area for polar bears. Tom Strickland, assistant secretary for fish and wildlife parks, announcing the protected area, said: “This critical habitat designation enables us to work with federal partners to ensure their actions within its boundaries do not harm polar bear populations. Nevertheless, the greatest threat to the polar bear is the melting of its sea ice caused by human-induced climate change. We will continue to work toward comprehensive strategies for the long-term survival of this iconic species.” The designated area includes large parts of Beaufort and Chukchi seas. About 96 per cent of the area is sea ice. But the new move does not mean an automatic ban on drilling or other activities in the area, only that any application will be subject to review. The strength of this review process will be tested quickly, with decisions pending on whether to let drilling go ahead. The Centre for Biological Diversity has long campaigned for the endangered status for the polar bear, with the cause of its decline as reduction in sea ice as a result of the effects of human activity on climate change. George Bush's administration eventually agreed to the threatened status rather than endangered, which would have led to greater protection. This decision is currently subject to a court challenge. The two populations of polar bears in the US both live within the new designated area. Populations are also found in Canada and Russia. But the focus of Russian conservationists last month was on the tiger, when the first tiger summit was held in St Petersburg. The high profile conservation conference was called by the Russian prime minister, Vladimir Putin, and chief of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, and aimed to mobilise political, financial and celebrity support for a goal of doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022. Celebrities, such as Leonardo diCaprio, who pledged $1 million personally, and Naomi Campbell, joined the Chinese premier, Wen Jiahao, and the prime ministers of Nepal and Bangladesh. The leaders endorsed the Global Tiger Recovery Programme, an action plan to strengthen reserves, crack down on poachers and provide financial incentives to maintain a thriving tiger population. During the summit, major donors including Germany, WWF, the Wildlife Conservation Society and international financial institutions, promised $320 million over the next five years towards doubling their population. The 13 nations containing wild tigers are also spending substantial sums on related projects. “Overall this summit has been positive for tigers but it won't stop poaching and trafficking because they haven't put in place a mechanism to support enforcement,” said Steven Galster, director of Freedland, an organisation that helps to train wildlife authorities in south-east Asia.