LoBiondo Introduces Legislation to Prohibit the Importation of Polar Bear Trophies

Press Release

LoBiondo Introduces Legislation to Prohibit the Importation of Polar Bear Trophies

As a long-time animal protection advocate and supporter of environmental issues, U.S. Representative Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02) today introduced bipartisan legislation that would expand the "Marine Mammal Protection Act" to prohibit the importation of polar bear trophy heads and hides into the United States. Joining with Representative Jay Inslee (WA-01) on the "Polar Bear Protection Act," their legislation has already garnered the support of three leading animal protection and conservation groups - The Humane Society of the United States, Defenders of Wildlife, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

"There is clear, scientific evidence that the habitats of polar bears and other Arctic species are being threatened by global warming. As these irreplaceable species become increasingly endangered, it is our responsibility to make every reasonable effort to protect them," said Congressman LoBiondo, a member of the Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus.

"Polar bears are being threatened by humans on two fronts: sport hunting and habitat loss due to global warming," said Congressman Inslee, a leading congressional proponent of protecting the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act. "We need to address both."

Current U.S. law does not allow the sport hunting of polar bears in their Alaskan habitat, but the animals are legally hunted in Canada, in what has become a commercial hunt. The Marine Mammal Protection Act, passed in 1972, generally prohibits the import of products from marine mammals, such as whales, dolphins, seals, and polar bears. But in 1994, at the urging of trophy hunting groups, Congress amended the law to allow American sport hunters to bring home polar bear trophies from Canada. Over the four-year period from 2002-2005, American hunters received 252 permits to import polar bear trophies. LoBiondo's "Polar Bear Protection Act" would restore the protections for these animals.

"The polar bear has become the iconic species for the devastating effects of global warming," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "This is an easy fix, and the Congress should act quickly to restore the ban on imports of sport-hunted polar bear trophies - which had been in place between 1972 and 1994."

FAST FACTS ON POLAR BEARS (courtesy of the Humane Society of the United States & the Defenders of Wildlife):

· Scientists estimate there are 21,500-25,000 polar bears in the Arctic - more than half are in Canada and most of these are in the territory of Nunavut. Throughout their range, polar bears currently face unprecedented threats from global climate change, environmental degradation, and hunting for subsistence and sport.

· Of the five "polar bear nations" (Canada, Denmark [Greenland], Norway, Russia and the US), only Canada and (recently) Greenland allow polar bear sport hunting.

· In 2005, the Nunavut increased hunting quotas by 29%, despite concerns expressed by polar bear researchers that the increase in take could be harmful to the population.

· The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) currently allows the import of polar bear trophies from six of Canada's 14 polar bear populations.

· Over the four years from 2002-2005, a total of 298 requests were made by US citizens to import sport hunted polar bear trophies from Canada. Of these, 252 were issued (85 percent).

· Trophy hunting is arguably illegal under the International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears.

· Sport hunters target the largest and most fit animals and are not always able to distinguish females from males in the field. The animals that are targeted are critical to ensuring the survival of polar bear populations under stress form climate change and habitat degradation.

· Historically, before the passage of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), sport hunting was identified as the primary or sole cause of polar bear population declines in places such as Alaska.

· Today sport hunting of polar bears in the U.S. is banned, and only Alaskan natives are allowed to hunt small numbers of bears for subsistence. Once sport hunting was prohibited in the U.S., some populations began to recover.

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