Last year the Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requesting that the polar bear be listed as a threatened species. The problem is that there is presently NO PROBLEM with the polar bear population.

Unfortunately when we talk about polar bears, facts take a back seat in almost every news story, blog posting or discussion. Because these dangerous carnivores look fluffy and cuddly in pictures, they draw out the most vehement arguments based solely on emotion. So let’s take a look at some of the documentation:

First, a quote from the Center for Biological Diversity’s website:

“POPULATION TREND: Most recently, worldwide polar bear abundance was estimated at 20,000 to 25,000 animals, a narrower count than the 20,000 to 40,000 bears estimated in 1981 . It is important to note that, according to the best available science, even stable or increasing polar bear populations are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.” (emphasis added)

For a more formal source we only need look to the CBD’s petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, executive summary, conclusions, page viii:

“While most populations are currently reasonably healthy and the global population is not presently endangered, the species as a whole faces the likelihood of severe endangerment and possible extinction by the end of the century.” (That’s 92 years from now.)

So there you have it. Whether you’re an environmentalist or a representative of a resource-based industry, you have to agree that even the Center for Biological Diversity admits there is no problem with today’s polar bear population. Their 170-page petition asks the U.S. Government to declare polar bears threatened based solely on their global warming prophesy.

This would set a dangerous precedent. The polar bear is already protected under the Marine Mammal Act. The U.S. Government should not take further action under the Endangered Species Act without hard data showing a species needs help. Alaska should be allowed responsible development of its resource-based industries without being hamstrung by news hyperbole and prophesy rather than facts.