On Thursday of last week the five countries with polar bear populations met to implement the 1973 agreement on conservation of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) intended to give the apex predators a fighting chance for survival as global warming melts their sea ice hunting grounds. A plan for action will be drawn up by bear biologists. Appropriately, the scheme is circumpolar in scope with protected areas for denning in winter and no hunting in summer. Industrial activity would be limited in reserves established in those areas of sea ice likely to be the last to melt: the Canadian archipelago and northwest Greenland. The great white bear prefers the edge of the ice sheet for hunting its favorite food, seals. Norway gets credit for hosting the meeting and setting high expectations to save the bear from extinction. Eric Solheim, minister of the environment for Norway, said on TV that failure to save the bear "would be an amazing crime" against future generations. The meeting of US, Russia, Canada, Norway and Denmark(Greenland) also called for strong and immediate action to reduce global warming that is severely impacting the bears' habitat. Any effective plan must also deal with bear hunting by indigenous peoples and trophy hunters in Canada. Canada is home to about 60% of the world's estimated 22,000-25,000 polar bears Hunters from the south spend up to $35,000 for the opportunity to kill a bear with telescopic high-powered rifle. One successful trophy guide told the Independent he enjoys the strenuous hunt in subzero temperatures, but does not enjoy killing the quarry. Nevertheless, he sees no paradox in his business. Russia, US and Greenland only allow native people to kill the bear for food. They use all parts of the bear except the liver which is toxic. About 700 bears a year are killed by hunters. Norway prohibits all hunting. Last year the US banned the importation of skins when it listed the species under the Endangered Species Act {Polar Bears Win Protection, 5/21/08}, but most countries place no restriction on importation. Experts consider the current hunting quotas problematic given the extreme climatic challenges facing the great white bear.[photo: US Fish & Wildlife Service]