Our mission is to conserve polar bears and the sea ice they depend on. Through media, science, and advocacy, we work to inspire people to care about the Arctic, the threats to its future, and the connection between this remote region and our global climate.
Anthropogenic climate change is causing the Arctic to warm more rapidly than the global average, resulting in declining sea ice and raising long‐term conservation concerns for Arctic marine mammals including polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Polar bears roam the circumpolar Arctic in 19 subpopulations, relying on sea ice as a platform from which to hunt seals, their primary prey, to find mates, to raise their young and, in some areas, to den. When the Arctic sea ice melts completely, or retreats so far north that it’s above the deep, unproductive Arctic Ocean, polar bears in many areas are now forced to live away from their main food sources for up to a full month longer than the generation before them. Without access to seals, polar bears lose an average of 7 to 14 pounds per week, or up to 1kg per day. The bears typically remain on land 4 months, or in the case of denning females, up to 8 months. Polar bears that spend longer periods of time on land are also at an increased risk of encountering humans which can lead to encounters with people and result in tragic consequences. Until governments and local leaders take action to reduce the greenhouse gasses driving our current climate emergency, polar bears must be protected during ice-free seasons, particularly when they are on-land and at increased risk of harm. Experts have predicted that if we fail to act, we are on course to lose two-thirds of the world’s polar bear populations by the end of this century. The decisions we make today will have long-lasting repercussions, not only for polar bears, but for people and places around the world. Sadly, conditions have been worsening throughout the Arctic and warming has impacted sea ice with troubling trends toward younger and thinner ice floes, which are themselves more prone to melting away completely. According to the 2021 Arctic Report Card by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “The substantial decline in Arctic sea ice extent since 1979 is one of the most iconic indicators of climate change. Summer 2021 saw the second-lowest amount of older, multi-year ice since 1985, and the post-winter sea ice volume in April 2021 was the lowest since records began in 2010.” Polar bears are an ice-dependent species deriving their important calories primarily from ice seals. The reduction in sea ice limits the polar bears ability to consume enough marine mammal calories to maintain adequate body condition. As body condition is one of the primary indicators of polar bear health, including their ability to successfully reproduce, if these trends continue as expected, that could affect the future health and survival of the species. As the only conservation organization dedicated exclusively to the survival of polar bears, Polar Bears International is working around the Arctic to; 1.) study the impacts of climate warming on polar bear populations across the circumpolar Arctic; 2.) develop solutions to the challenges polar bears face as a result of sea ice loss; 3.) provide educational tools to the public, free of charge, to inspire people to care about the Arctic, the threats to its future, and the connection between this remote region and our global climate; 4.) serve as a voice for polar bears on international recovery teams including the Polar Bear Recovery Team with the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN); 5.) work with communities on the ground to reduce conflicts and prevent unwanted deaths to both people and polar bears; and, 6.) engage in policy discussions at the local and federal level to support action to protect polar bears and their sea ice habitats.
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