lar Act po io m n u P c l a r i n C Conservation Strategy for the Polar Bear September 2015 SUGGESTED CITATION: Polar Bear Range States. 2015. Circumpolar Action Plan: Conservation Strategy for Polar Bears. A product of the representatives of the parties to the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears. Photo credits: Background, Erik W. Born, Greenland. Bottom of cover, from left to right: United States (2); Henrik Hansen, Greenland; and Canada Circumpolar Action Plan Conservation Strategy for the Polar Bear September 2015 This page was intentionally left blank Table of Contents Table of Contents PREFACE ....................................................................................................................................................... VIII RANGE STATE AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS ....................................................................................................X GLOssARY OF TERMS ........................................................................................................................................XI EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................XII Plan Vision and Objectives ....................................................................................................................XII Species Information ............................................................................................................................. XIII Threats to Polar Bears ..........................................................................................................................XIV Management Regimes ..........................................................................................................................XIV Strategies to Address Threats ...............................................................................................................XV Adaptive Management Approach .....................................................................................................XV Best Management Practices Approach .........................................................................................XVI Monitoring and Research .............................................................................................................. XVII Communications and Outreach ................................................................................................... XVIII Performance Measurements ...........................................................................................................XIX Performance Measurment Actions ...................................................................................................XX 1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................. 22 1.1 Plan Vision ........................................................................................................................................... 23 1.2 Plan Objectives ................................................................................................................................... 23 1.3 Guiding Principles .............................................................................................................................. 24 2. SPECIES INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................. 26 2.1 Description and Taxonomy ................................................................................................................ 26 2.2 Population and Distribution .............................................................................................................. 26 2.3 Population Trends and Status by Subpopulation .......................................................................... 26 2.4 Habitat Needs and Characteristics .................................................................................................. 26 2.5 Reproduction ....................................................................................................................................... 29 2.6 Movement/Migration ......................................................................................................................... 29 2.7 Diet ....................................................................................................................................................... 29 2.8 Disease, parasites and pathogens .................................................................................................... 30 3. THREATS TO POLAR BEARS .......................................................................................................................... 31 3.1 Climate Change and the Extent and Composition of Sea Ice ..................................................... 32 3.1.1 Prey abundance and other food sources .................................................................................. 32 3.1.2 Separation from terrestrial refugia and denning areas ........................................................ 32 3.2 Disease ................................................................................................................................................. 33 3.3 Human-caused Mortality .................................................................................................................. 33 3.3.1 Unsustainable harvest ............................................................................................................... 34 3.3.2 Illegal Take of Polar Bears ........................................................................................................ 34 Circumpolar Action Plan V Table of Contents 3.3.3 Human-bear interactions ........................................................................................................... 35 3.4 Mineral and Energy Resources Exploration and Development .................................................. 35 3.4.1 Oil and gas activities ................................................................................................................... 35 3.4.2 Mining .......................................................................................................................................... 35 3.5 Contaminants and Pollution .............................................................................................................. 36 3.6 Shipping ............................................................................................................................................... 37 3.7 Tourism ................................................................................................................................................ 38 4. MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................................................. 39 4.1 Adaptive Management ....................................................................................................................... 39 4.2 Knowledge Systems ........................................................................................................................... 39 4.2.1 Scientific research and monitoring ........................................................................................... 39 4.2.2 Science foundation and TEK ..................................................................................................... 39 4.3 Involvement of Indigenous Peoples and Incorporation of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Polar Bear Conservation .................................................................................................................................... 40 4.3.1 Participation of Indigenous Peoples ........................................................................................ 40 4.3.2 Definition of Traditional Ecological Knowledge ..................................................................... 40 4.3.3 Collecting Traditional Ecological Knowledge through Interviews ...................................... 40 4.3.4 Involvement of Indigenous Peoples in Biological Surveys ................................................... 41 4.4 Circumpolar Cooperation .................................................................................................................. 41 4.4.1 IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group ................................................................................. 41 4.4.2 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears ............................................................ 41 4.5 Managing Inter-jurisdictional Populations (including areas outside national jurisdictions) ... 42 4.6 Bilateral Cooperation ......................................................................................................................... 43 4.7 National Management Systems........................................................................................................ 43 4.7.1 Canada.......................................................................................................................................... 44 4.7.2 Greenland .................................................................................................................................... 45 4.7.3 Norway ........................................................................................................................................