SAVING POLAR BEAR TERRITORIES
AND THE ARCTIC'S SEA ICE

Saving Polar Bear 

Populations

Where do wild polar bears live?

World Wildlife Fund Data 2024- 

Arctic Wild Polar Bear Populations 

(Ursus maritimus)

In the Arctic, there are an estimated 26,000 wild 

polar bears (marine mammals) that can be 

verified through field biologists, radio tracking, 

aerial sightings and other scientific observational

methods.  

Wild polar bears do have expansive coastal 

and marine territories that allow them to hunt 

on large sea ice areas and along with vast 

open water.  Tracking wild polar bear 

populations are not easy to achieve.

Some wild polar bear populations 

locations include:

Sixty to eighty percent of wild 

polar bears live in Canada.

-Explore an Arctic Map to find these locations

 and appreciate the extreme travel ranges

for wild polar bears. Canada, USA-Alaska, 

Greenland, Norway(Svalbard) and Russia

INCREASING WILD POLAR BEAR POPULATIONS:

M'clintock Channel, Canada

Kane Basin, Greenland

STABLE WILD POLAR BEAR POPULATIONS:

-Chukchi Sea, Alaska, USA

-Barents Sea, Northern Coast of Norway and Russia

-Foxe Basin, North of Hudson Bay, in Nunavut, Canada, 

located between Baffin Island and the Melville Peninsula

DECLINING POLAR BEAR POPULATIONS:

(The ice is melting in early spring and ice formation

is delayed until late fall. Polar bears would have less

hunting time on the sea ice causing their weight loss.)

-Southern Hudson Bay, Canada

-Western Hudson Bay, Canada

-Southern Beaufort Sea, Canada

Polar bears walk on ice, swim and actively hunt for ringed and bearded seals' breathing holes as they migrate through ice floes and seas venturing into many of these Arctic nations.

In some Arctic polar bear regions, there is 

insufficient polar bear population data.

See www.arcticwwf.org for science-driven updates.

Arctic Human Population-

About four million people currently live 

inside the arctic circle.  The arctic is home 

to many indigenous peoples and communities 

that depend on its natural resources.

Traditional hunting of polar bears for food 

subsistence was more prevalent in past years.

Now, the polar bears have more economic value 

from eco-tourism which reduces polar bear hunting.

There are thirty-four species of marine mammals 

and 633 fish species.  Indigenous and

local communities can benefit from these 

rich resources in their territories.

For them, important supplies can often only 

be delivered in the summer by ice breaker cargo 

ships to reach these remote Arctic communities.

Important Arctic Conservation Policies-

All Arctic Nations have made agreed to a

commitment to set aside thirty percent of 

land and ocean to safeguard nature by 2030.

In addition, a High Seas Treaty to protect 

international waters is currently being 

negotiated to be placed into legal force.

Arctic Nations and global support for the

stewardship of these arctic goals is vital 

for the world and to save wild polar bears 

along with the arctic's marine life.

In 1973, Canada, the United States, Denmark, 

Norway and Russia signed the International 

Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears 

and their habitat which strictly regulates any 

commercial hunting.  

IUCN's Red list status for the polar bear is listed 

as Vulnerable. The polar bears' status can change

based on new scientific reports in areas impacted

by declining populations.

The Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal

Protection Act prohibit harassing, hunting, capturing

and killing of polar bears.  One of their biggest

challenges is the warming of the sea ice which

delays their seal hunting time.  It impacts their ability

to strengthen themselves with critical fatten seal food. 

Saving Arctic Whales

According to WWF, the Arctic Ocean is a vital 

support system for one quarter of the planet's 

whale species, such as the beluga, narwhal

and bowhead whale.  These whales migrate 

between summer and winter feeding grounds 

navigating thousands of miles.

WWF has successfully mapped these whale

"Blue Corridors" across the entire Arctic ocean

enabling them to see increased arctic shipping

traffic conflicts with these protected whales.

Information is the power to make good decisions.

Wild polar bears travel some of these ocean

corridors along with winter's ice floes.  

Polar bears hunt beluga and narwhal whales

especially in Canada's Hudson Bay area. 

Often, they are unable to capture these

intelligent and fast-moving whales.  

Polar bears only capture about two percent 

of their prey and are often very hungry.

Swimming long distances is part of their roaming to find food opportunities.

Polar bear migratory roaming encompasses vast sea ice and open water ranges up to600,000 sq km.  Somehow, these sea bears navigate themselves back to their home geographical denning home where they were born.  For polar bear mothers, they will find their way home.

Keep learning about wild polar bears

and the global conservation efforts

to help them thrive.

Global conservation efforts are increasing

from groups like polarbearinternational.org,

wwf.org, and many other organizations.