US declares polar bear threatened species

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Polar bears. Photo: EFE

The US government declared the polar bear a threatened species on Wednesday because of the loss of Arctic sea ice but also cautioned the decision should not be viewed as a path to address global warming.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne cited dramatic declines in sea ice over the last three decades and projections of continued losses, meaning, he said, that the polar bear is a species likely to be in danger of extinction in the near future. But Kempthorne said it would be "wholly inappropriate" to use the protection of the bear to reduce greenhouse gases, or to broadly address climate change.

"Listing the polar bear as threatened can reduce avoidable losses of polar bears but it should not open the door to use the ESA (Endangered Species Act) to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles, power plants, and other sources", Kempthorne said, reflecting a view recently expressed by US President George W Bush.

The department outlined a set of administrative actions and limits to how it planned to protect the bear with its new status so that it would not have wide-ranging adverse impact on economic activities from building power plants to oil and gas exploration. "This listing will not stop global climate change or prevent any sea ice from melting", said Kempthorne. He said he had consulted with the White House on the decision.

Kempthorne, at a news conference, was armed with slides and charts showing the dramatic decline in sea ice over the last 30 years and projections that the melting of ice - a key habitat for the bear - would continue and may even quicken. He cited conclusions by department scientists that sea ice loss will likely result in two-thirds of the polar bears disappearing by mid-century. "Our scientists advise me that computer modelling projects a significant population decline by the year 2050. This in my judgement makes the polar bear a threatened species, one likely to become in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future", Kempthorne said.

Studies last year by the US Geological Survey suggested 15-thousand bears would be lost in coming decades with those in the western Hudson Bay area of Alaska and Canada under the greatest stress. Environmentalists were already mapping out plans to file lawsuits challenging the restrictive measures outlined by Kempthorne. "The polar bear is more endangered today than it was yesterday and it will be more endangered tomorrow than it is today. And that will continue until our government does something meaningful to address the global warming that threatens its survival," said Carroll Muffett, of Greenpeace.

Iain Murray, from the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), said the polar bear has "been used as a proxy for global warming legislation". "They can't get legislation through Congress so they're using litigation to try and impose restrictions on greenhouse gases", he said.

The CEI is a public policy group dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government, and claims listing the polar bear as a threatened species could have enormous consequences for the US economy. Kempthorne proposed 15 months ago to investigate whether the polar bear should be declared threatened under the Endangered Species Act. That triggered a year of studies into the threats facing the bear and its survival prospects at a time when scientists predict a continuing warming and loss of Arctic sea ice. The Arctic sea ice serves as a primary habitat for the bear and is critical to its survival, scientists say.

A species is declared "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act if it is found to be at risk of becoming endangered in the foreseeable future. If it does not make progress toward recovery, it can be declared "endangered" meaning it is at risk of extinction and needs even greater protection.