Polar Bear Range States - Circumpolar Action Plan

Implementation and modifications of the 2015-2025 Circumpolar Action Plan.

Overview of the CAP implementation and revisions after the Mid term review in 2020
(Click on the diagram to open the overview for all Actions. Links to Implementation Plans and Actions is provided in the document)

The horizontal dotted lines indicate the fate of Actions from the original CAP (2015-2020) in the revised CAP (2020-2025) based on reccomendations in the Mid Term Review report from 2020.

List of Actions in the original 2015-2025 CAP not included in the revised CAP in 2020*:
The Actions not included in the revised CAP were completed, considered more suitable for implementing at domestic or bilateral level, or reccomended to be postponed until beyond 2025.

Adaptive management

Best Management Practices

Monitoring and Research

Climate Change Research:

Action 24 - Validate models based on empirical data and use them to identify high-priority information needs
Action 25 - Monitor and quantify changes in sea ice habitat for polar bears using satellite observations or other associated data

Obtain information on all Polar Bear Subpopulations:

Action 26 - Develop subpopulation-specific research plans, which include a priori study design considerations, based on clearly stated objectives and applied conservation needs and in light of limited resources for research and variation in the ecological and management status of the 19 polar bear subpopulations
Action 28 - Coordinate joint research studies of shared subpopulations and of adjacent subpopulations with significant movement of animals
Action 31 - Improve methods to quantify and mitigate potential bias in estimates of population status and trend
Action 32 - Improve methods to use all available information to address management questions

Prey abundance and Other Food Sources:

Action 36 - Evaluate the relationships between sea ice, prey abundance and distribution, and polar bear vital rates
Action 37 - Monitor abundance, availability and types of polar bear prey and analyze data for seasonal and regional characteristics and trends
Action 38 - Examine the importance of other food sources to the polar bear diet today and those anticipated over the next 10 years
Action 39 - Monitor the distribution and abundance of ringed seal over time and space
Action 40 - Monitor polar bear diets and nutritional status over time and space
Action 41 - Design studies to reassess areas with existing data for comparative purposes and to assess, at intervals, the effect of climate warming, changes in sea ice, and changes in oceanography that influence the prey species of polar bears

Contaminants and Pollution Research:

Action 43 - Examine the impact of contaminants and pollution on polar bear life history characteristics
Action 44 - Where appropriate, monitor contaminants and pollution to determine temporal and spatial trends, modes of transmission etc
Action 45 - Investigate how contaminants interact in order to establish cause-and-effect relationships and assess the hazards from exposure to multiple contaminants
Action 46 - Periodically monitor for the presence of new contaminants/pollutants (i.e., those not previously detected in polar bear samples)

Disease Research:

Action 47- Compile the current state of knowledge of how parasites and diseases affect polar bears
Action 48 - Establish sampling methodologies and common protocols to screen for relevant diseases/parasites, and monitor changes over time (recommended sampling period is every 10 years)
Action 49 - Develop baseline occurrence estimates of identified diseases/parasites in each of the 19 subpopulations
Action 50 - Investigate the relationships between disease occurrence and changes to sea ice, feeding ecology, nutritional stress, contaminant exposure, etc.
Action 51 - Measure the impact of diseases/parasites on polar bears at the individual and population level
Action 52 - Establish reference intervals for key biomarkers to monitor individual and population health

Communication and Outreach

* The categorization of the Actions follow the categories used in the original CAP

(Source: Table of CAP Actions in original CAP (Annex III) (2015), Mid-Term Review report (2020); MTR report Annex_4_Fate_of_Previous_Actions and MTR report Annex_5_Rank_and_timing_of_actions) (See also lists of Actions below).

2015-2025 Circumpolar Action Plan - Table of Actions (original CAP from 2015)
(List of Actions in the original CAP from 2015 (Annex III). This list was applied in the 2015-2017 and 2018-2020 Implemenation Plans)
(click on the table to view the document in a pop-up window)

Revised Circumpolar Action Plan - Table of Actions (revised CAP from 2020)
(Mid Term Review report, Annex 2: Final Objective Templates. This list was applied in the 2020-2023 and 2023-2025 Implemenation Plans)
(click on the text box below to view the document in a pop-up window)

Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceThe Circumpolar Action Plan’s (CAP) comprehensive list of actions and commitments (Annex III) span a timeframe of 10 years. Due to the challenge of allocating resources and responsibilities to plan activities in detail for the full 10-year period, a suite of 2 to 3-year implementation plans, each focusing on a limited set of actions, serve as a strategic tool for ensuring progressive completion of the full list of actions in the CAP.

The shorter duration of these implementation plans enables the Range States to carry out collaborative actions that align with national activities, priorities and strategies. The 2-3 year plans serve as the implementation schedule of the CAP, and allow the Range States to ensure progress, flexibility and efficiency in their circumpolar cooperation.

The implementation plans (developed by the CAP Implementation Team) are presented for agreement biennially at the Meetings of the Parties (MoP) to the Agreement. Progress on the 2015-2017 Implementation Plan was reported in November 2017. Progress on the 2018-2020 Implementation Plan was reported in January 2020. Progress on the 2020-2023 Implementation Plan was reported at the 2023 MoP. The 2023-2025 Implementation Plan is ongoing.

Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceThe 2018-2020 2-Year Implementation Plan was adopted at the 2018 Meeting of the Parties (MoP) to the Agreement in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. Progress on the 2018-2020 Plan was reported at the 2020 MoP in Norway.

2018-2020 Implementation Plan Overview (click on table to view the document in a pop-up window)

2018-2020 Implementation Plan Progress Reports
(Click on the icon to view the overall progress report. Report sections for each Action are provided in the relevant sections below)

List of Objectives and associated Actions of the CAP 2018 - 2020 implementation plan:
(The Actions were not directly associated with the CAP Objectives in the original 2015-2025 CAP. The categorization of the Actions by Objectives presented below is based on the Mid-Term Review report in 2020; Annex_4_Fate_of_Previous_Actions and Annex_5_Rank_and_timing_of_actions).

Objective 1 - Track and reduce emerging threats to polar bears - (No Action)

Objective 2 - Communicate to the public, policy makers, and legislators around the world the importance of mitigating GHG emissions to polar bear conservation - (Action 53, 59)

Objective 3 - Ensure the conservation of essential habitat for polar bears - (Action 3)

Objective 4 - Ensure that harvest of polar bear subpopulations is managed in a biologically sustainable manner in accordance with sound conservation practices - (Action 1)

Objective 5 - Manage human-bear interactions to ensure human safety and to minimize polar bear injury or mortality - (Actions 7, 19, 20, 22, 58)

Objective 6 - Ensure that international trade of polar bears is carried out according to conservation principles - (Action 12)

Objective 7 - Carry out coordinated circumpolar population research and monitoring that addresses achieving the objectives and providing information to help make progress toward the vision and monitor progress toward the vision of the CAP - (Action 27, 29, 30) *

* Objective-7 was added to the Circumpolar Action Plan in 2020.

List of other Actions of the CAP 2018 - 2020 implementation plan**:

Best Management Practices - (Actions 14, 16, 17, 18)

Monitoring and Research - (Actions 33, 34, 35, 42)

Performance Measurement - (Actions 60, 63)

* * The 'other' Actions have a general connection to the CAP and cannot be associated with a specific Objective. The categorization applied in this list follows the categories used in the original CAP. (Source: Table of CAP Actions in original CAP (Annex 3) (2015). See also Mid-Term Review report (2020); MTR report Annex_4_Fate_of_Previous_Actions and MTR report Annex_5_Rank_and_timing_of_actions).

The Circumpolar Action Plan (CAP) is a 10-year cooperation plan between the Range States that aims to strengthen their efforts in polar bear conservation. The plan was adopted in 2015.

At the biennial meeting of the Polar Bear Agreement in Greenland in 2015, the Range States adopted the CAP with the goal to foster and strengthen international cooperation to conserve polar bears across their range. The CAP builds on each country’s national efforts and aims to lead to more efficient and effective use of conservation resources.

The vision of the CAP is to secure the long-term persistence of polar bears in the wild that represents the genetic, behavioral, life-history, and ecological diversity of the species.

Seven key threats are identified in the CAP; of these human-induced climate change and the effects of such changes on habitat and prey is considered the primary threat. The other threats include human-caused mortality; mineral and energy resource exploration and development; contaminants and pollution; shipping; tourism-related activities, and disease.

The vision of the plan is supported by seven objectives (six objectives were defined in the 2015-2025 CAP adopted in 2015 and one additional objective was defined in the 2020-2023 Implementation Plan). The objectives are to:

minimize threats to polar bears and their habitat
communicate to the public, policy makers, and legislators around the world the importance of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions to polar bear conservation
ensure the preservation and protection of essential habitat for polar bears
ensure responsible harvest management systems today that will sustain polar bear subpopulations for future generations
manage human-bear interactions to ensure human safety and to minimize polar bear injury or mortality
ensure that international legal trade of polar bears is carried out according to conservation principles and that poaching and illegal trade are curtailed.
carry out coordinated circumpolar population research and monitoring to monitor progress toward achieving the vision of the CAP

The CAP contains strategies and actions geared towards meeting these objectives by 2025. At each Range State biennial meeting, a periodic implementation plan is adopted, where a set of actions from the CAP that are to be implemented in the following 2-3 year interim are identified.

Half way through the implementation of the 10-year CAP, in 2020, the Polar Bear Range States undertook a mid-term review to evaluate the degree to which the actions have been implemented, the effectiveness of actions to achieving the stated objectives, and the impact of those actions toward achieving the vision. The mid-term-review identified a set of circumpolar actions linked to the seven objectives, and the Circumpolar Action Plan Implementation Team (CAP-IT) developed a detailed Plan for the period of 2020-2023.

The full text of the CAP adopted in 2015 and the Mid-term-review report from 2020, as well as appendices and annexes, can be downloaded in the sidebars of this page.

Progress on the 2015-2017 2-Year Implementation Plan was reported in November 2017 and is summarized below. The full report and individual reports can be found below.

2015-2017 Implementation Plan Overview (click on table to view the document in a pop-up window)

2015-2017 Implementation Plan Progress Reports
(Click on the icon to view the overall progress report. Report sections for each Action are provided in the relevant sections below)

List of Objectives and associated Actions of the CAP 2015 - 2027 implementation plan:
(The Actions were not directly associated with the CAP Objectives in the original 2015-2025 CAP. The categorization of the Actions by Objectives presented below is based on the Mid-Term Review report in 2020; Annex_4_Fate_of_Previous_Actions and Annex_5_Rank_and_timing_of_actions).

Objective 1 - Track and reduce emerging threats to polar bears - (No Action)

Objective 2 - Communicate to the public, policy makers, and legislators around the world the importance of mitigating GHG emissions to polar bear conservation - (Actions 55, 59)

Objective 3 - Ensure the conservation of essential habitat for polar bears - (Actions 3, 13)

Objective 4 - Ensure that harvest of polar bear subpopulations is managed in a biologically sustainable manner in accordance with sound conservation practices - (No Action)

Objective 5 - Manage human-bear interactions to ensure human safety and to minimize polar bear injury or mortality - (Actions 7, 22)

Objective 6 - Ensure that international trade of polar bears is carried out according to conservation principles - (Action 12)

Objective 7 * - Carry out coordinated circumpolar population research and monitoring that addresses achieving the objectives and providing information to help make progress toward the vision and monitor progress toward the vision of the CAP - (Actions 27, 29)

* Objective-7 was added as a new CAP Objective in 2020.

List of other Actions of the CAP 2015 - 2017 implementation plan*:

Best Management Practices - (Actions 17, 18, 19)

Monitoring and Research - (Actions 33, 34, 35)

Communications and Outreach - (Action 53)

Performance Measurement - (Actions 60, 61, 63)

* The 'other' Actions have a general connection to the CAP and cannot be associated with a specific Objective. The categorization applied in this list follows the categories used in the original CAP.
(Source: Table of CAP Actions in original CAP (Annex 3) (2015). See also Mid-Term Review report (2020); MTR report Annex_4_Fate_of_Previous_Actions and MTR report Annex_5_Rank_and_timing_of_actions).

CAP - Overview of Actions

Implementation and modifications of the 2015-2025 Circumpolar Action Plan.

Adaptive management

Document and protect essential habitat:

Consider the impact of diet changes:

Consider the current and future impacts of disease and parasite:

Best Management Practices

Mineral and energy resource exploration and development:

Shipping:

Monitoring and Research

Climate Change Research:

Obtain information on all Polar Bear Subpopulations:

Prey abundance and Other Food Sources:

Contaminants and Pollution Research:

Disease Research:

Communication and Outreach

Website:

Targeted Outreach:

Educational Materials:

Performance Measurement:

2015-2025 Circumpolar Action Plan - Table of Actions (original CAP from 2015) (List of Actions in the original CAP from 2015 (Annex III). This list was applied in the 2015-2017 and 2018-2020 Implemenation Plans)(click on the table to view the document in a pop-up window)

Implementation Plans

2018-2020 Implementation Plan

Objective 1 - Track and reduce emerging threats to polar bears - (No Action)

Objective 2 - Communicate to the public, policy makers, and legislators around the world the importance of mitigating GHG emissions to polar bear conservation - (Action 53, 59)

Action 53 - Establish and maintain a Range States’ website to disseminate information and provide links to relevant information sources

Action 59 - Develop and implement a communications strategy on climate change in order to bring global focus to the threat to the Arctic and to polar bears and the need for the global community to reduce GHG emissions

Objective 3 - Ensure the conservation of essential habitat for polar bears - (Action 3)

Action 3 - Define essential polar bear habitat and document change over time:

Objective 4 - Ensure that harvest of polar bear subpopulations is managed in a biologically sustainable manner in accordance with sound conservation practices - (Action 1)

Action 1 - Consider the cumulative effects of climate change and human activities on polar bear subpopulations and habitats when making management decisions using tools such as predictive modeling

Objective 5 - Manage human-bear interactions to ensure human safety and to minimize polar bear injury or mortality - (Actions 7, 19, 20, 22, 58)

Action 7 - Develop strategies for responding to the potential for large numbers of nutritionally-stressed bears being close to communities and consider the consequences including those for human safety and transmission of disease between bears

Action 19 - Establish working relationships with tourism organizationsandAction 20 - Collect occurrence data, and develop BMPs, with the goal of minimizing the impact of tourism-related activities and their impact on polar bears

Action 22 - Reduce the risk of injury and mortality to humans and bears as a result of their interactions

Action 58 - Use the PBHIMS database to produce safety education materials for use throughout the Arctic in order to minimize and mitigate human-bear interactions

Objective 6 - Ensure that international trade of polar bears is carried out according to conservation principles - (Action 12)

Action 12 - Consider, and implement as appropriate, recommendations from the Range States’ Trade Working Group

Objective 7 - Carry out coordinated circumpolar population research and monitoring that addresses achieving the objectives and providing information to help make progress toward the vision and monitor progress toward the vision of the CAP - (Action 27, 29, 30) *

Action 27 - Share research plans among jurisdictions to encourage consistency of methods and data

Action 29 - Share research plans among jurisdictions to encourage consistency of methods and data

Action 30 - Obtain information, where possible, on vital rates for all 19 subpopulations of polar bears. Improve methods to evaluate ecological indicators (e.g., reproduction) as proxies for robust estimates of vital rates

Best Management Practices - (Actions 14, 16, 17, 18)

Action 14 - Work with appropriate authorities to develop the necessary emergency response plans andAction 16 - Compile, and prepare as necessary, international, national, and local BMPs for mineral and energy exploration and development

Action 17 - Use regional land-use planning processes, regional strategic environmental assessments and project environmental assessments to mitigate the effects of mineral and energy development activities on polar bears

Action 18 - Develop and implement BMPs or action plans to mitigate contamination, or debris, and their effect on polar bears in subpopulations where contaminants are a concern

Monitoring and Research - (Actions 33, 34, 35, 42)

Action 33 - Have the relevant scientific authorities conduct regular population assessments

Action 34 - Obtain TEK as per the acquisition schedule (Appendix VI) and consider, in conjunction with scientific data, in management decisions, where appropriate

Action 35 - Determine what kinds of TEK are most useful for conservation and management and develop objectives, guidelines, and standards for collection and reporting of such information to maximize its utility

Action 42 - Compile the state of knowledge on (both global and local source) contaminants affecting polar bears and prey

Performance Measurement - (Actions 60, 63)

Action 60 - Regular reporting of the results of the Plan will be done according to Table 4

Action 63 - Improved design of polar bear population studies

Circumpolar Action Plan

2015-2017 CAP Implementation Plan

Objective 1 - Track and reduce emerging threats to polar bears - (No Action)

Objective 2 - Communicate to the public, policy makers, and legislators around the world the importance of mitigating GHG emissions to polar bear conservation - (Actions 55, 59)

Actions 55 and 59 - Communications plan & communications strategy for promoting polar bear conservation during a changing climate

Objective 3 - Ensure the conservation of essential habitat for polar bears - (Actions 3, 13)

Action 3 - Define and identify essential polar bear habitat and document change over time

Action 13 - Assess the adequacy of existing oil and contaminant spill emergency response plans to protect essential polar bear habitat, and prevent polar bears from being exposed to oil

Objective 4 - Ensure that harvest of polar bear subpopulations is managed in a biologically sustainable manner in accordance with sound conservation practices - (No Action)

Objective 5 - Manage human-bear interactions to ensure human safety and to minimize polar bear injury or mortality - (Actions 7, 22)

Action 7 - Develop strategies for responding to the potential for large numbers of bears stranded on shore near communities and human developments and consider the consequences including those for human safety and transmission of disease between bears

Action 22 - Reduce the risk of injury and mortality to humans and bears as a result of their interactions by:

Objective 6 - Ensure that international trade of polar bears is carried out according to conservation principles - (Action 12)

Action 12 - Polar Bear Range States’ Trade Working Group recommendations

Objective 7 * - Carry out coordinated circumpolar population research and monitoring that addresses achieving the objectives and providing information to help make progress toward the vision and monitor progress toward the vision of the CAP - (Actions 27, 29)

Action 27 - Inter-jurisdictional collaboration in support of consistent research methods and data sets for polar bears

Action 29 - Determination of population size estimates as per the Inventory Schedule

Best Management Practices - (Actions 17, 18, 19)

Action 17 - Operations, Protocols, and Procedures of the Range States

Action 18 - Determine priority research needs considering the monitoring framework, national mandates and funding options

Action 19 - Continue to support the work of the Range States Conflict Working Group (CWG)

Monitoring and Research - (Actions 33, 34, 35)

Action 33 - Annual population assessments for each of the polar bear subpopulations

Action 34 - Obtaining Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) for each subpopulation

Action 35 - Establishment of a Range State definition of TEK and guidelines for the use of TEK in management decisions

Communications and Outreach - (Action 53)

2015-2025 Circumpolar Action Plan - Table of Actions (original CAP from 2015)
(List of Actions in the original CAP from 2015 (Annex III). This list was applied in the 2015-2017 and 2018-2020 Implemenation Plans)
(click on the table to view the document in a pop-up window)

Action 19 - Establish working relationships with tourism organizations
and
Action 20 - Collect occurrence data, and develop BMPs, with the goal of minimizing the impact of tourism-related activities and their impact on polar bears

Action 14 - Work with appropriate authorities to develop the necessary emergency response plans
and
Action 16 - Compile, and prepare as necessary, international, national, and local BMPs for mineral and energy exploration and development