Photo credit: Christian Artuso
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are legally harvested for subsistence (i.e., nutritional, cultural, and economic) purposes by Indigenous Peoples in Canada, Greenland, and the United States. As sea-ice loss due to climate warming continues, ensuring that subsistence harvest remains sustainable is a primary conservation priority. This paper, commissioned by the Polar Bear Range States under the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears, establishes international consensus principles to guide the management of harvested polar bear subpopulations. It defines sustainable harvest in relation to population dynamics, outlines the scientific assessments needed to determine sustainable harvest levels—including habitat evaluations, demographic studies, and Indigenous Knowledge—and describes the components of a sustainable, state-dependent harvest management regime. By integrating climate considerations into harvest strategies and emphasizing interjurisdictional cooperation, these principles provide a foundation for long-term conservation while supporting the ability of Indigenous Peoples to maintain subsistence practices. The full paper was published in the journal Conservation Biology in March 2025 and is available for download below.
The Regehr et al. 2025 Conservation Biology paper can be viewed and downloaded here
