Please stop the unnecessary killings of polar bears in Iceland!
Please stop the unnecessary killings of polar bears in Iceland!
The Issue
Currently, with the approval of the Icelandic government, polar bears are being killed when they come to the shores of Iceland. No other course of action is considered. Yet, polar bears in Iceland are not unexpected. These poor animals come to Iceland because of the shortage of breeding grounds, due to the melting polar ice. Polar bears were frequently spotted in Iceland in the 19th century, but the last two polar bears came to Iceland in 2008, following a fifty years gap. Both were put down, following a special sanction issued by the Icelandic authorities. In 1993 a polar bear caught swimming off the Icelandic coast, was captured and hung by Icelandic fishermen.
The sanctions to kill polar bears are approved by the Icelandic government, because the animals are considered dangerous, they are not in serious danger of extinction, and the transportation costs are thought to be too high. These assumptions are all completely wrong. First, polar bears attack humans only if provoked. According to Polar Bears International, throughout all recorded history, there have only been 10 confirmed casualties in Canada and the US caused by polar bears, and 19 in Russia. No Icelander has ever been killed by a polar bear. Second, while the polar bears are not classified as "in danger of extinction", all countries where polar bears dwell; Canada, Norway, Russia, USA, Greenland (Denmark) classify polar bears as vulnerable and have taken responsible actions to preserve these magnificent animals. Iceland however, has not!
On 15th of May 2008, the U.S. listed the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and banned all imports of polar bear trophies. Importing products made from polar bears had been prohibited from 1972 to 1994 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and restricted between 1994 and 2008. The International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears was signed in Oslo, November 15, 1973 by the five nations with the largest polar bear populations including Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Norway, the United States, and the former U.S.S.R. Iceland is not a member of the agreement. The agreement prohibits random, unregulated sport hunting of polar bears and outlaws hunting of polar bears from aircraft and icebreakers which have been the most detrimental to the polar bear population. Additionally, the agreement holds member states accountable for taking appropriate actions to protect the ecosystems of which the polar bears dwell, paying special attention to places where polar bears create dens, do a majority of their feeding, and where they migrate. States also must manage polar bear populations in accordance with proper conservation practices based on the best available scientific data. According to the agreement the killing of polar bears is only warranted for bona fide scientific purposes, to prevent serious disturbances of other living resources such as human populations, and by local people using traditional methods in the realm of their traditional rights in accordance with the laws of that party. Yet the skins or any other items of value that are taken as a result of the killing of a polar bear cannot be used for commercial purposes. Also important to this agreement is that member states must prohibit the exportation, importation, and trafficking of polar bears within their states. These nations share their polar bear research findings and meet every three to four years to coordinate their research on polar bears throughout the Arctic. This agreement was one of the first of its kind and continues to be successful today in the international conservation of polar bears.
Iceland is a very progressive country and such acts of unnecessary violance are absolutely shocking and unacceptable. Please, sign this petition to encourage the Icelandic Government to change their policy.
If you want to learn more:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jun/05/animalwelfare.animalbehaviour
Petition Closed
The Issue
Currently, with the approval of the Icelandic government, polar bears are being killed when they come to the shores of Iceland. No other course of action is considered. Yet, polar bears in Iceland are not unexpected. These poor animals come to Iceland because of the shortage of breeding grounds, due to the melting polar ice. Polar bears were frequently spotted in Iceland in the 19th century, but the last two polar bears came to Iceland in 2008, following a fifty years gap. Both were put down, following a special sanction issued by the Icelandic authorities. In 1993 a polar bear caught swimming off the Icelandic coast, was captured and hung by Icelandic fishermen.
The sanctions to kill polar bears are approved by the Icelandic government, because the animals are considered dangerous, they are not in serious danger of extinction, and the transportation costs are thought to be too high. These assumptions are all completely wrong. First, polar bears attack humans only if provoked. According to Polar Bears International, throughout all recorded history, there have only been 10 confirmed casualties in Canada and the US caused by polar bears, and 19 in Russia. No Icelander has ever been killed by a polar bear. Second, while the polar bears are not classified as "in danger of extinction", all countries where polar bears dwell; Canada, Norway, Russia, USA, Greenland (Denmark) classify polar bears as vulnerable and have taken responsible actions to preserve these magnificent animals. Iceland however, has not!
On 15th of May 2008, the U.S. listed the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and banned all imports of polar bear trophies. Importing products made from polar bears had been prohibited from 1972 to 1994 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and restricted between 1994 and 2008. The International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears was signed in Oslo, November 15, 1973 by the five nations with the largest polar bear populations including Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Norway, the United States, and the former U.S.S.R. Iceland is not a member of the agreement. The agreement prohibits random, unregulated sport hunting of polar bears and outlaws hunting of polar bears from aircraft and icebreakers which have been the most detrimental to the polar bear population. Additionally, the agreement holds member states accountable for taking appropriate actions to protect the ecosystems of which the polar bears dwell, paying special attention to places where polar bears create dens, do a majority of their feeding, and where they migrate. States also must manage polar bear populations in accordance with proper conservation practices based on the best available scientific data. According to the agreement the killing of polar bears is only warranted for bona fide scientific purposes, to prevent serious disturbances of other living resources such as human populations, and by local people using traditional methods in the realm of their traditional rights in accordance with the laws of that party. Yet the skins or any other items of value that are taken as a result of the killing of a polar bear cannot be used for commercial purposes. Also important to this agreement is that member states must prohibit the exportation, importation, and trafficking of polar bears within their states. These nations share their polar bear research findings and meet every three to four years to coordinate their research on polar bears throughout the Arctic. This agreement was one of the first of its kind and continues to be successful today in the international conservation of polar bears.
Iceland is a very progressive country and such acts of unnecessary violance are absolutely shocking and unacceptable. Please, sign this petition to encourage the Icelandic Government to change their policy.
If you want to learn more:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jun/05/animalwelfare.animalbehaviour
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Petition created on January 11, 2011