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Obama Administration takes steps to protect the world's polar bears
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The Obama Administration has just announced that it will support an upgrade in international protection for polar bears. This is extremely important because each year hundreds of polar bears are hunted as trophies, and their body parts traded.
If the world agrees to support this important position and increases the polar bear's protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), it would help end trophy hunting and stop the global trade in polar bear body parts.
Between now and March 2010, when the next CITES treaty talks take place, much work will be needed to make sure that other key nations support America’s efforts to protect polar bears. Canada, for example—home to two-thirds of the world’s polar bear population and obviously home to important polar bear habitats—currently allows both trophy hunting and commercial trade of polar bears.
So much is at stake.
It is hard to ignore the scientific evidence that the Arctic sea ice is melting. The survival of the polar bear is at risk because of global warming, or climate change, if you prefer. Consequently, the polar bear was classified as a threatened species in May 2008. By some estimates, sea ice could disappear in 30 years. Hunting the bear makes a bad situation much worse.
These majestic creatures could easily disappear in your lifetime.
Much work to do.
Stay tuned for news and updates and opportunities to take action to help protect polar bears from trophy hunting and trafficking.
Take heart that the Obama Administration's is taking a tough stand to protect polar bears protection.
Consider thanking Interior Secretary Ken Salazar for doing the right thing for the sake of polar bear survival. Let him know that you are paying attention.
Be alert. Stay informed. Take action.
Source: NRDC
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