Three conservation groups notified the U.S. government Wednesday they intend to sue to get polar bears listed as a threatened species due to global warming, in a case that could have a major effect on Inuit hunting guides in Canada.
The formal notice filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Greenpeace is a necessary step before a lawsuit is filed.
The notice cited a missed deadline by the federal agencies and officials in Washington on whether polar bears will be listed.
The decision is crucial to Inuit hunting guides in Canada, who rely on guiding mostly American clients. Nunavut government figures suggest that between 80 and 100 hunters come to the Arctic every year to hunt the massive predators.
The hunting and its spinoffs — everything from guides to supplies to traditional Inuit clothing for clients — generates about $1.6 million a year in remote Nunavut communities.
But that revenue is in doubt if the U.S. government decides to list the bears as endangered or threatened. Either move would eliminate the ability of Americans to bring their hunting trophies back home, reducing the appeal of the experience.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dale Hall said earlier this week that the Wednesday deadline would be missed in part because of the complexity of the issue.
The agency has never declared a species threatened or endangered because of climate change and the research effort has been taxing and challenging, he said.
In September, the U.S. Geological Survey issued a report concluding that two-thirds of the world's polar bears, including the entire population in Alaska, will be killed off by 2050 because of the thinning ice.
Scientists estimate a worldwide bear population of about 25,000 — 15,000 of that in Canada.
"Endangered" means a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. "Threatened" is one step less serious, a category that means a species is likely to become endangered.
Listing polar bears as threatened could trigger limits on development, particularly oil and gas exploration and production, that could harm the animals.
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Should polar bears be on the U.S. endangered species list?
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The formal notice filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Greenpeace is a necessary step before a lawsuit is filed.
The notice cited a missed deadline by the federal agencies and officials in Washington on whether polar bears will be listed.
The decision is crucial to Inuit hunting guides in Canada, who rely on guiding mostly American clients. Nunavut government figures suggest that between 80 and 100 hunters come to the Arctic every year to hunt the massive predators.
The hunting and its spinoffs — everything from guides to supplies to traditional Inuit clothing for clients — generates about $1.6 million a year in remote Nunavut communities.
But that revenue is in doubt if the U.S. government decides to list the bears as endangered or threatened. Either move would eliminate the ability of Americans to bring their hunting trophies back home, reducing the appeal of the experience.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dale Hall said earlier this week that the Wednesday deadline would be missed in part because of the complexity of the issue.
The agency has never declared a species threatened or endangered because of climate change and the research effort has been taxing and challenging, he said.
In September, the U.S. Geological Survey issued a report concluding that two-thirds of the world's polar bears, including the entire population in Alaska, will be killed off by 2050 because of the thinning ice.
Scientists estimate a worldwide bear population of about 25,000 — 15,000 of that in Canada.
"Endangered" means a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. "Threatened" is one step less serious, a category that means a species is likely to become endangered.
Listing polar bears as threatened could trigger limits on development, particularly oil and gas exploration and production, that could harm the animals.
Full story
Should polar bears be on the U.S. endangered species list?
More...