​Conservation and management of Polar Bears in Canada: Questions and answers

Description and distribution

The Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) is a large carnivorous mammal reliant on sea ice to travel, mate, and hunt. Polar bears are apex predators, meaning they occupy the top of the food chain in Arctic marine ecosystems. There are approximately 20,000-26,000 Polar Bears worldwide with roughly 16,000 found in Canada. The Canadian population of Polar Bears is found in the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

What is the status of Polar Bear in Canada?

Polar Bear was listed as a species of Special Concern under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) by the Government of Canada in 2011. Species listed as Special Concern could become Threatened or Endangered if actions are not taken to reduce threats to the species.

Habitat needs

Polar Bears rely almost exclusively on the marine (sea ice) ecosystem and in some cases terrestrial habitat to meet their lifecycle requirements. This species is typically found over the continental shelf where their prey occurs in higher densities.

How is Polar Bear habitat conserved?

The Government of Canada is committed to continuing to establish and maintain protected areas that include habitat important to Polar Bears, such as National Parks and Marine Protected Areas. The Government of Canada works closely with co-management partners (including Indigenous peoples, governments, Wildlife Management Boards, and Land Claims Organizations) to support a stewardship-based approach to conserving Polar Bear habitat. These co-management partners conserve Polar Bear habitat through various initiatives and policy tools. These are described in the jurisdictional management plans and recovery strategies which have been or will be adopted as parts 2 – 7 of the Management Plan for the Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) in Canada (hereafter the Federal Management Plan).

Why are Polar Bears at risk?

Climate change is the main threat to Polar Bears because it results in sea ice loss, which leads to fewer opportunities to hunt its preferred prey of seals. More information on climate change and other threats facing polar bears, as well as the steps that are being taken to mitigate those threats, can be found in the Federal Management Plan.

What is the Government of Canada doing to mitigate the impact of climate change on Polar Bears?

The most significant threat facing the Canadian and global Polar Bear population is sea ice habitat loss resulting from increased atmospheric temperatures caused by global greenhouse gas emissions. The Government of Canada is undertaking several initiatives to address this threat, which are outlined in such documents as the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, the Healthy Environment and Healthy Economy plan, and the National Adaptation Strategy.

In addition, the Government of Canada provides support to Indigenous partners to implement climate change strategies, such as the National Inuit Climate Change Strategy.

Given the global nature of the threat of climate change, Canada also works with the Polar Bear Range States (Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia and the United States) to conserve and manage Polar Bears throughout the circumpolar Arctic. More information is available at the following website: Polar Bear Range States.

What are the implications of a Special Concern status?

SARA requires the creation of a management plan for each species listed as Special Concern and its habitat. These plans set a management objective and outline the best actions and management practices to prevent any further decline of the species, based on the best available information at the time. The Federal Management Plan does not impact the harvest of Polar Bears by Indigenous peoples.

Can Polar Bears be harvested in Canada?

Polar Bears play an integral role in the social, cultural, and economic lives of Indigenous peoples in Canada, and have been harvested by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Polar Bear harvest is a legally protected right of Indigenous peoples in Canada, and the act of hunting is important for building and fostering human-animal and human-human relationships, promoting a sense of community through celebration, social gathering and storytelling, in addition to sharing food from the hunt.

In Canada, polar bear harvest is monitored annually to support sustainable management in areas both with and without Comprehensive Land Claims Agreements. More information on Polar Bear harvesting in Canada is available in the jurisdictional management plans and recovery strategies, and on the following website: Polar Bears in Canada

Is the conservation status of Polar Bears the same under different provincial and territorial legislation across Canada?

While the Polar Bear is listed as a species of Special Concern nationally under SARA, its status varies among provinces and territories due to the varying severity of threats and their effects on Polar Bears within each jurisdiction. Each province and territory has its own species at risk and/or wildlife legislation. The table below shows the conservation status by province or territory and where more related information can be found within the jurisdictional parts of the Federal Management Plan.

Why does Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) adopt jurisdictional management plans and recovery strategies?

In the spirit of cooperation of the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk (1996), the relevant jurisdictions, Wildlife Management Boards, Advisory Councils and Indigenous governments within these jurisdictions have given permission to the Government of Canada to adopt their recovery documents for Polar Bears under Section 69 of SARA. ECCC has included a federal addition (part 1) which completes the SARA requirements for a Federal Management Plan.

The jurisdictional management plans and recovery strategies for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Nunavut, Ontario, and the Quebec–Eeyou Marine Region-Nunavik Marine Region have been adopted as Parts 2, 3, 5, and 6 of the Federal Management Plan. Manitoba’s Polar Bear Conservation and Recovery Strategy and Newfoundland and Labrador’s Polar Bear Management Plan will be adopted as parts 4 and 7 of the Federal Management Plan once they are completed.

This collaboration improves conservation outcomes by recognizing their expertise and leadership in Polar Bear conservation and management in their respective jurisdictions.

How were Polar Bear co-management partners consulted on the Federal Management Plan?

In addition to the consultations and engagement that occurred during the development of the jurisdictional management plans and recovery strategies, Indigenous organizations, Wildlife Management Boards, and provincial, territorial and federal governments were engaged during the development of part 1 of the Federal Management Plan (that is the Federal Addition). Consultation opportunities were extended to Indigenous peoples within the range of Polar Bears in Canada. Interested parties are encouraged to submit any additional comments during the public comment period.

How can I comment on the Federal Management Plan?

Comments on the content of the proposed Federal Addition (part 1 of the Federal Management Plan) are being sought during the consultation period. Please note that comments are not being sought on the jurisdictional management plans and recovery strategies, as these documents are considered complete and have already undergone separate consultative processes.

To view the Federal Management Plan, visit: Management Plan for the Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) in Canada. To submit comments, or for more information on the consultation process, contact us at RecoveryPlanning-Planificationduretablissement@ec.gc.ca or 1-800-668-6767. In your message, please provide your name, address, email address and telephone number.