Will Canada Stop Trade in Polar Bear Parts? Take action to help

Take action here to urge the Canadian Government to protect Polar Bears.
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Go to the above page to send the following email, or personalize.

----- email to Canadian Prime Minister ----

As a Defenders of Wildlife supporter and someone who cares about polar bears and other wildlife, I am writing today to encourage the Canadian government to support a proposal to provide more protections for polar bears through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Polar bears are facing so many threats -- including global warming, oil and gas exploration, pollution and poaching -- that these amazing animals could disappear from the neighboring U.S. by mid-century.

Rising temperatures are already melting the sea ice habitat that polar bears depend on for survival. This season's Arctic sea ice is well below average. In fact, a recent study from the Technical University in Denmark indicates that the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free as early as 2015.

Although Canada has made progress in managing its own polar bear populations, increased international protections are needed to secure a lasting future for these Arctic icons.

Uplisting polar bears from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I would end the trade of polar bear parts and products (like bear skin rugs) for primarily commercial purposes, preventing the deaths of hundreds of these struggling animals every year.

Canada can and should be an international leader in protecting these magnificent animals on the international front by supporting a U.S. proposal to the CITES Secretariat to uplist polar bears to Appendix I.

Thank you for your time.

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From: Rodger Schlickeisen, Defenders of Wildlife

Urge Canada to Strengthen Polar Bear Protections!

Polar bears are already struggling with global warming, oil drilling and pollution.

Help Save Polar Bears

Take action now to urge Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government to support an end to the international trade in polar bear parts.

As polar bears struggle to survive, collectors in some countries can still buy polar bear skin rugs, claws, skulls and other parts to decorate their homes.

Thanks to more than 43,000 Defenders supporters, the U.S. is proposing to increase protections for these iconic bears through CITES1, the powerful international agreement that regulates trade in imperiled wildlife.

But this critical proposal needs the support of the Canadian government -- and you can help persuade them to support it.

Please take action to urge Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government to support an end to the international commercial trade in polar bear products.

Global warming is having a tremendous effect on our polar bears. Without drastic action, these arctic icons could disappear from the U.S. in a few short decades.2 With seasonal sea ice is well below average3, polar bear homes are literally melting away. Some are even drowning in their search for adequate sea ice for food.

Besides their daily struggle to survive in a warming world, polar bears are also facing threats from oil drilling, poaching and pollution.

Speak out for polar bears: Urge Canadian officials to support strengthened protections for these struggling arctic icons.

This March, representatives from 175 nations will meet in Doha, Qatar to vote on strengthening protections for polar bears. Home to around 60 percent of the world’s polar bears,4 Canada’s support for this vital proposal would help save hundreds of polar bears each year -- and give them a chance at a lasting future.

Please take action today and help end the international commercial trade in polar bear parts.

Together, we can make a difference for struggling polar bears.

Sincerely,
Rodger Schlickeisen, President
Defenders of Wildlife

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1 CITES: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna

2 Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. U.S. Global Change Research Program. Page 86. http://www.globalchange.gov/images/cir/pdf/ecosystems.pdf

3 National Snow and Ice Data Center: http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews

4 Environment Canada. Conservation of Polar Bears in Canada: http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=714D9AAE-1&news=18E4D45A-CB74-41EE-B1A4-DFCCFF4B8173

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