NUNAVUT PREMIER EXPRESSES CONCERNS OVER POLAR BEAR

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000250

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR OES AND WHA
INTERIOR FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV CA
SUBJECT: NUNAVUT PREMIER EXPRESSES CONCERNS OVER POLAR BEAR
LISTING TO AMBASSADOR

REF: 2007 QUEBEC 002

Sensitive but Unclassified. Please protect accordingly. Not
for Internet distribution.


1. (SBU) Nunavut premier Paul Okalik called on Ambassador on
February 7 to express his concerns over the Fish and Wildlife
Service's December 27 announcement proposing to list the
polar bear as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act.
Economic Minister-Counselor and ESTH Counselor also sat in on
the meeting. Okalik stressed that Nunavut monitored its
polar bear populations carefully, and that only one of twelve
distinct populations in Nunavut (the Western Hudson Bay
population) was in less than peak condition. That situation
was of concern, Okalik noted, but he continued that Nunavut
was not afraid to completely ban hunting ) even for the
Inuit ) if the situation warranted such a move.


2. (SBU) The Ambassador noted that the Fish and Wildlife
Service would make its determination (on whether to list the
polar bear as threatened) based on scientific evidence, and
urged Okalik to provide formal comment to the Service in
response to the Federal Register Notice. He added that
Nunavut's own monitoring data and information on its healthy
populations, in addition to information on the role of the
polar bear in Nunavut economics and culture, would be
particularly helpful to the Service in making its final
determination. The Ambassador suggested that Okalik also
enlist the assistance of the Canadian government and its
embassy in Washington in making its case to Fish and
Wildlife. Okalik responded that officials of his government
would see federal Environment Minister John Baird the week of
February 12-16 to do precisely that.


3. (SBU) In describing for the Ambassador the important
economic and cultural role played by the polar bear, Okalik
related that the income gained from provision of services to
hunters was virtually the only cash income for many Nunavut
communities, and those funds stayed and circulated in the
communities. With the restrictions the "threatened"
designation would carry, at least some portion of the
estimated 80-100 U.S. hunters that now visit Nunavut annually
would no longer come to hunt. There would be a negative
impact on the economies of those communities. Okalik
impressed on the Ambassador that Nunavut took its
responsibility to manage carefully its polar bear populations
seriously. Maintaining healthy populations was in Nunavut's
own interest for these economic reasons as well as for
dietary and cultural reasons. To this end, Nunavut was also
working closely with neighbors Quebec and Greenland, with
which Nunavut shares polar bear populations, urging them to
institute sustainable management practices as well.


4. (SBU) In response to the Ambassador's question, Okalik
said it was too early to tell whether climate change was
negatively impacting Nunavut's polar bears, especially in the
Territory's northern reaches, since only one of its
populations was not completely healthy. Okalik said he was
not aware of involvement by environmental NGOs in proposing
the listing; NGOs had not been active in Nunavut. (Note:
The Federal Register Notice announcing the proposed listing
records the Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace, and
Natural Resources Defense Council as the petitioners to Fish
and Wildlife Service in the matter.)


5. (U) Okalik estimates polar bears in Nunavut number
Q5. (U) Okalik estimates polar bears in Nunavut number
20,000-25,000, roughly half of the world's total. Other
reporting indicates that Nunavut communities take in C$2.5-3
million annually from the provision of hunting services.
Reftel provides extensive review of Nunavut arguments in
opposition to the "threatened" listing for polar bears.

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WILKINS