Quote:
Originally Posted by MJK
I value everyone's argument here and I understand where everyone is coming from. However, hunting polar bear for the Inuit is not just tradition; they eat the meat and use the fur for clothing.
These are facts.
There is also an ongoing debate between 'southern' scientists and elders who have lived in the north a lot longer than white people have been on this continent. The elders argue that the polar bear is not endangered at all. But is in fact doing very well in the north.
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Actually the population is very stable or increasing in most areas. There are a few regions which are showing a decline but, not anything that is significant. The reason why Alaska(actually the American Federal government) considers the Polar bear an endangered species and there is pressure to do the same in Canada is the shrinking ice caps. Some reason that less ice means less seals which will mean starving Polar bears. Of course if that happens in the future(it isn't effecting populations now) the amount of bears harvested today won't mean squat. If anything it will just save some from slow starvation. But of course their motivation really isn't conservation. It is the abolution of hunting.
