Some comments on polar bear management

Abstract

Large carnivores are often the first animals whose interests clash with those of Man. Bears have many ecological requirements which overlap ours, and a long history of conflict between men and bears has resulted. This has been particularly true in the Arctic, perhaps because ecological relationships between species there are often of magnified intensity. Recently, problems with Polar Bears ( Ursus (Thalarctos) maritimus) have increased as more people have come to the North and as over-snow vehicles have made the Eskimos more mobile. The regard for Polar Bears as representing a rare species and as a game resource has deteriorated drastically in some localities. Simultaneously, concern has grown among conservationists at the international level that Polar Bears may be in danger of extinction, and there have been recent demands that they be given complete protection. The problem is not quite that simple, however; nor should hasty steps be taken to abolish hunting. The real need is for careful long-term research on the species. This should be oriented to the management of population units, recognizing that in certain areas hunting is quite proper and should possibly be increased, whereas in other areas hunting should be prohibited. Such a policy could provide the multiple purposes of controlling nuisance Bears, of supplying food, clothing, and income for Eskimos, and of preserving the White Bear indefinitely. Adequate research is still lacking, but could and should be undertaken by the five northern nations involved: these are the Soviet Union, the United States (for Alaska), Canada, Denmark (for Greenland), and Norway (for Svalbard etc.).