STOP POLAR BEAR
TROPHY HUNTING
Polar bears face extinction not only because of climate change but also because of trophy hunting. We ask the EU and global leaders to push for a full hunting ban and the highest level of international protection.
To the European Commissioner for the Environment,
to the Minister for the Environment of the Kingdom of Denmark,
to the Minister for the Environment of the Kingdom of Norway,
to the Minister for the Environment of Canada,
The polar bear is disappearing. And it is happening now.
A symbol of the Arctic, it depends entirely on sea ice to hunt and survive. But global warming is rapidly reducing this vital habitat. Without ice, polar bears cannot feed or reproduce.
Adding to this crisis is an avoidable threat: trophy hunting and commercial trade.
Every year, almost 700 hundreds of polar bears are killed. largely in Canada where only in the province of Nunavut between 2000 and 2023, more than 10,000 polar bears were killed, more than one-third of them females. Considering a global population of just over 20,000 individuals and a reproductive cycle of about three years, these figures pose a serious risk to the survival of the species—the countdown has already begun.
Currently, international trade in polar bears is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which restricts but does not completely ban the trade in skins and body parts. The absence of the species from Appendix I still allows commercial activities that contribute to the overall pressure on a species classified as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
We can no longer accept contradictions: protection on paper and exploitation in practice.
We urgently call for:
- the immediate inclusion of the polar bear in Appendix I of CITES, to prohibit international commercial trade;
- a ban on polar bear trophy hunting.
The European Parliament, in its Resolution of 23 October 2025, Strategic objectives of the EU for the CITES CoP20 (Samarkand), P10_TA(2025)0255, has also recognized hunting as one of the significant threats to the survival of the species.
We rely on your commitment and leadership to ensure stronger and definitive protection for the polar bear, before it is too late. Any further damage to the Arctic ecosystem will have irreversible global impacts on climate and biodiversity.
We still have a choice. But time is running out.
Act now. Before it is too late.
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Polar Bear Hunting: A Hidden Problem We Can't Ignore
Many believe the main threat to polar bear survival is climate change, but the reality is very different. Trophy hunting, where animals are hunted for parts of their bodies like fur or heads to display as status symbols, is one of the main causes of death for these magnificent creatures. For almost 50 years, those profiting from the exploitation of polar bears have helped make this issue a taboo, even though the immediate impact of hunting is much greater than that of climate change.
Although the polar bear is considered a vulnerable species, nearly 45,000 have been killed since 1973 — almost 1,000 every year. And hunting is the main threat to its survival. While the climate crisis and the loss of Arctic sea ice are serious threats to the remaining 20,000 polar bears in the wild, hunting is an unsustainable pressure on a species already in danger.
Each year, about 700 polar bears are killed in Canada, some by Inuit hunters and others as trophies by foreign hunters. Half of the bears killed are exported as fur or other body parts. Polar bears are already struggling to survive; exposing them to this additional threat will inevitably drive them to extinction.
Only public pressure can stop this tragedy, but the first step is awareness. The world needs to understand that without concrete action, hunting will threaten the very existence of polar bears, far more than climate change ever will!
OUR FOUR STRATEGIC PILLARS
We propose four actions to create a future where polar bears are safe from hunting and protected from the effects of climate change:
- MAXIMUM LEVEL OF PROTECTION FOR POLAR BEARS THROUGH CITES
We urge the European Commission to push for the inclusion of the polar bear in Appendix I of CITES at the next CITES COP. What does this mean in practice?CITES is a multilateral treaty signed by 185 parties designed to ensure that international trade in animals and plants does not threaten their survival in the wild. It categorizes species based on the level of protection they need into three different appendices. Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction and offers the highest level of protection, including restrictions on commercial trade.
By placing the polar bear in this appendix, it will receive stronger protection and ensure that trophy hunting of polar bears is stopped.
- STOPPING TROPHY HUNTING OF POLAR BEARS
We call on all countries, especially those that still allow trophy hunting, to act and stop this cruel and unsustainable practice. The polar bear deserves full protection.
- SUPPORT FOR CONSERVATION EFFORTS
We support local and international initiatives that protect polar bear habitats and address the effects of global warming. Contrary to what hunters claim, numerous studies show that eco-sustainable tourism is more profitable and sustainable than trophy hunting.We aim to promote funding for conservation projects led by indigenous peoples, which combine cultural traditions and sustainability, creating lasting and effective solutions.
- ADVOCACY
We want citizens and environmental organizations to join forces and urge the European Commission to make the protection of polar bears a priority
“It’s unfair that public money funds a cruel and unsustainable system that harms the collective good.”
Giulia Innocenzi
Director of the documentary
Food for Profit