Today is International Polar Bear Day 2015 and environmentalists will be marking the occasion with petitions, calls to action and alarmist claims about the threat to the very existence of these iconic animals.
However, in a new
briefing paper published by the Global Warming Policy Foundation, zoologist Dr Susan Crockford reveals that the long-term recovery of polar bear populations continues apace. In fact, the most recent official assessment did not identify any polar bear sub-populations that could be definitively said to be declining. Where data are sufficient to make at least a tentative assessment, populations are mostly stable or rising.
Dr Crockford said: “On almost every measure, things are looking good for polar bears. Scientists are finding that they are well distributed throughout their range and adapting well to changes in sea ice. Health indicators are good and they are benefiting from abundant prey. It really is time for the doom and gloom about polar bears to stop.”
Press release
