The Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears is a

multilateral treaty A multilateral treaty is a treaty to which two or more sovereign states are parties. Each party owes the same obligations to all other parties, except to the extent that they have stated reservations. Examples of multilateral treaties include the ...

signed in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

, November 15, 1973, by the five nations with the largest polar bear populations: Canada, Denmark (

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland i ...

), Norway ( Svalbard), the United States, and the Soviet Union. This

treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal pe ...

was brought about due to increased hunting of

polar bears The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear specie ...

during the 1960s and 1970s which led to polar bears being under severe survival pressure from hunters. The agreement prohibits random, unregulated

sport hunting Trophy hunting is a form of hunting for sport in which parts of the hunted wild animals are kept and displayed as trophies. The animal being targeted, known as the "game", is typically a mature male specimen from a popular species of collectable ...

of polar bears and outlaws hunting of polar bears from aircraft and

icebreaker An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller ...

s 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.Scott L. Schliebe
Polar bears in recent decades

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory The Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) is a federal laboratory in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR). It is one of seven NOAA Research Laboratories (RLs). The PM ...

Arctic Zone. 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 The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...

. This agreement was one of the first of its kind and continues to be successful today in the international conservation of polar bears.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Polar Bears Conservation Agreement

Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears The Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears is a multilateral treaty signed in Oslo, November 15, 1973, by the five nations with the largest polar bear populations: Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Norway (Svalbard), the United States, and the Sov ...

Environmental treaties

Treaties concluded in 1973 Treaties entered into force in 1976 Treaties of Canada Treaties of Denmark Treaties of Norway Treaties of the Soviet Union Treaties of the United States Animal treaties Treaties extended to Greenland

See also

References