Affiliation
IIED
Date Of Record Entry
Type of wild species covered by the record
Wild species used in its natural habitat
Stage of the value chain covered by the record
Primary Producer/harvester (e.g., NTFP collectors, egg collectors)
Record Source
“Grey” literature (e.g., NGO reports, case studies, non-detriment studies; project documents etc. (not necessarily peer-reviewed))
Inuit harvest and trade of Polar Bear in Canada, from subsitence or sport hunting.
Unknown/not recorded
Is the species endemic HIDE
No
Population Status
Uncommon but wildly distributed
Formal international protection in place
International Level
National Level
Formal national protection in place
In Canada, polar bears are considered a species of Special Concern under Canada’s federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), requiring a management plan (currently under preparation).
polar bears are also protected under provincial and territorial legislation, through which harvesting is regulated and managed.
Population Trend
Unknown/not recorded
Sub-national Level
Formal sub-national protection in place
Name
Emma Hemmerlé
Scientific Name
Ursus maritimus
Common Name(s)
Polar Bear
Type of Use
Extractive (i.e., the entire organism or parts of the organism are removed from its environment)
If extractive, for the target species, is this use
Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of
Only parts or products of the organism (e.g., feathers, leaves, branches, eggs, nuts)
Details of parts/products taken
Inuit have legally protected rights to harvest and use wildlife in Canada, and harvest polar bears for food, cultural, and livelihood purposes. Harvested bears are taken directly by Inuit, for food, clothing, and cultural purposes. Exports of polar bear specimens includes products from both subsistence and sport hunting, and includes hides, skulls, rugs, bone parts, taxidermy mounts and scientific samples.
How is the primary use carried out?
Are specific characteristics/traits being targeted?
Unknown/not recorded
Purpose of Use
Basic subsistence (meeting day to day essential needs)
Income generation from trade at individual or household or community
Cultural/spiritual
What is the main end use for any living organisms, parts or products taken/extracted?
What is the trend in the level of offtake within the period covered by this record?
Is there a regulatory or customary regime in place to govern this use?
Geographic Location
Country
Canada
Is the site legally/formally protected?
Unknown/not recorded
Ownership
Management
Local people (e.g., individuals, communities, co-operatives)
Is the use part of a strategy to generate conservation incentives, to finance conservation, or to improve tolerance/stewardship?
Unknown/not recorded
Is there evidence that the use is affecting the conservation status of the species? HIDE
Unknown/not recorded
Is there evidence that the use is affecting natural selection?
Unknown/not recorded
Is there evidence that the use is affecting poaching of illegal wildlife trade?
Unknown/not reported
Is there any evidence that this use of the species is having a knock-on effect on the status of non-target species
Unknown/not recorded
Unknown/not recorded
No assessment has been recorded
Has a valuation of financial flows from this use at the site/national/international level been recorded
Yes
Contribution to GDP
Unknown/not recorded
Food
Energy
Medicine/healthcare
Education
Training/Skills
Land/Resource Rights
Decision Making
Conflict- people
Conflict- wildlife
Climate Change
harvested bears are taken directly by Inuit, for food, clothing, and cultural purposes. meat from bears are distributed among community members.
Has any assessment of socio-economic sustainability been recorded
No assessment recorded
Has the use of the species been recorded as resulting in changes to human health in this record?
Unknown/not recorded
Has the species in use been noted as being of particular disease risk to humans?
Unknown/not recorded
Has the use of the species resulted in changes to animal welfare in this record?
Unknown/not recorded
Are there particular practices which have increased the risk to human or animal health or welfare in the use of this species?
Unknown/not recorded
Does the use of this species increase susceptibility to pathogen spread?
Unknown/not recorded
Unknown/not recorded
Strong community governance/institutions/rights for wildlife management
Absent
Supportive policy and legislative framework
Absent
Adequate capacity to implement and enforce governance arrangements
Absent
Good alignment of legal protections with local cultural values and traditional
Absent
Support from NGOs
Absent
Support from Government
Absent
High financial returns from use
Absent
Abundant population of target species
Absent
Biological characteristics of target species
Absent
Capacity building of community
Absent
Establishment and implementation of species and/or area management plan
Absent
Effective private sector approach engagement through certification
Absent
Good benefit-sharing mechanism
Absent
Good Market Strategies
Absent
Is this use legal or illegal?
Source Reference(s)
CITES (2019) CITES and Livelihood Case Studies 2019: Inuit harvest and trade of Polar Bear in Canada.
Who is involved in the use?
Is there any gender/age specificity in the various roles
Unknown/not recorded
How many of these local jobs accure to the following categories?
How many people outside the local area are employed
Is there any evidence of other economic benefits associated with this use beyond direct income and jobs
Unknown/Not recorded
Scale of Assessment
IUCN National Red List Category
IUCN Global Red List Category
Green Status Global Category
Yearly Financial Flows
Year
2011
Amount
$1500000.00
Country reference