According to an article from CNN, a proposal that would have offered polar bears additional conservation protections was rejected at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting taking place in Bangkok, Thailand. The delegation representing the United States at the meeting put forth the proposal to upgrade the CITES protection status of the species, which would have ultimately banned the international trade of polar bear parts.
Here are some facts, details, and reactions regarding the decision at the conference:
* Under the CITES accords, polar bears are listed under Appendix II, which applies to species that are not currently threatened with extinction but could face further population decline without trade restrictions.
* The American delegation's proposal was to list polar bears under Appendix I, which offers the strongest protections by banning trades of the species body parts.
* The Los Angeles Times reported that Russia backed the effort in light of its own problems with polar bear poaching.
* However, the proposal needed two-thirds majority to pass and it only yielded 38 supporting votes versus 42 opposing votes. A total of 46 countries abstained from voting on the measure.
* Canada, which has the largest population of polar bears with an estimated 16,000 to 20,000 individuals, voted against the proposal, along with Norway and Greenland.
* A main concern voiced at the meeting was on part of Canadian Inuits, who view polar bear hunting as cultural and community practice that sustains their small economies, according to the Washington Post.
* The U.S. had tried to ease concerns from native Alaskans by including language that it would not affect their subsistence harvest nor handicrafts made from polar bear parts.
* Similarly, the delegation emphasized that 3,200 items made from the parts of 400 to 500 polar bears were exported annually from Arctic countries, but predominantly Canada.
* Canadian officials responded with stating their nation's policies that include regional hunting quotas that promote sustainable harvests.
* According to the New York Times, the European Union attempted to offer a compromise that would have regulated the trade with export quotas, but this was also rejected by the convention.
* Dan Ashe, leader of the U.S. delegation, noted that the proposal is extremely important in light on pressure on the species from melting sea ice and increasing prices, and thus hunting, of polar bear pelts.
* With the meeting wrapping up on March 15, it's possible that the measure could be put up for another vote.
* Additionally, conservationists are attempting to challenge Canada's commercial polar bear trade under NAFTA and are putting pressure on the Obama administration to impose trade sanctions to stop the current practice.
Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. Currently pursuing her master's degree in environmental science, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.
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