In Canada, Polar bears generally migrate north along the Hudson Bay coast from late summer to early November as the sea ice freezes. They wait for the Hudson Bay to freeze over so they can go out on the ice to hunt seals. The sea ice generally freezes in early November, but due to a change in climate over the last few decades, the sea ice freezes much later in the year, and less ice has been forming. It is becoming more difficult for them to reach their prime hunting spots on the ice. As a result, famished polar bears searching for food make their way into Inuit settlements.
They now regularly show up at the town dump, scavenging through the hamlet’s trash.
In the fall and winter, there are almost daily sightings of polar bears wandering into the town harassing sled dogs, rummaging through trash, and scaring residents. This gives many Inuit the sense of an abundance of these wild, dangerous animals while it alarms others to the desperation of the polar bears.
Many Inuit who live in the polar bear’s path feel that, if anything, there are more polar bears than ever and have a hard time believing the statistics of scientists and environmental groups that the polar bear population is diminishing.
Skeptics argue that the Inuit have a vested interest in their ability to hunt polar bears.
Only Inuit are allowed to hunt polar bears as long as they win one of the ten allotted tags each year and they are permitted to sell the polar bear pelt and parts. A single polar bear pelt can sell for over ten thousand dollars – economic salvation for many impoverished families.
Listing the polar bear as a threatened species, the United States and many environmental groups have pushed for a global ban on the commercial trade of their fur, meat, and body parts. They have recently pushed CITES to list the polar bear as ‘endangered’, a label that the Canadian government opposes on behalf of the Inuit. While this label did not pass this year, it remains a contentious issue. The current debate highlights the clash between traditional hunting practices and modern conservation science.
Ed Ou
