In the 1960s and 1970s, hunting was the major threat to polar bears. Pressure from hunters was so great, and their survival in such jeopardy, that the five polar bear nations reached a landmark accord.
The International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears was signed in Oslo, November 15, 1973 by: Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Norway, the U.S., and the former U.S.S.R. It is one of the first and most successful international conservation measures enacted in the 20th century.
The Agreement
- Prohibited random, unregulated sport hunting of polar bears
- Outlawed hunting from aircraft and icebreakers, a common practice
- Required each nation to protect polar bear denning areas and migration patterns
- Obliged the nations to conduct research on the conservation and management of polar bears to share research findings with each other
Today, member scientists from each nation continue to work together to address new threats including climate change, pollution, industrial activities, and poaching. They meet every three to four years under the auspices of the IUCN World Conservation Union to coordinate research.
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