Officials spark backlash with new law impacting polar bears: 'There's a real lack of transparency'

A new law that scraps key wildlife protections in Ontario, Canada, is causing outrage from conservationists, who said the changes could quietly push the province's polar bears closer to extinction, per Canada's National Observer. 

The policy, passed under Premier Doug Ford's government, weakens environmental oversight and rolls back decades of progress in safeguarding at-risk species. 

What's happening?

Ontario's new Species Conservation Act replaces the province's Endangered Species Act, removing requirements for recovery plans and environmental reviews before development projects move ahead. 

Government officials said the change will reduce delays for housing and infrastructure, but experts warn it strips away essential protections for vulnerable wildlife. 

"There's a real lack of transparency in how Ontario intends to protect and restore polar bear populations now that Bill 5 has passed," Shane Moffatt, conservation campaigns and advocacy manager at Ontario Nature, told the National Observer. "Without recovery plans or progress reports, the public and scientists have no way to track whether conservation efforts are working."

Why is the new law concerning?

Ontario's polar bears, the world's southernmost breeding population of polar bears, depend on stable sea ice to hunt and survive. But the ice along Hudson and James Bay is melting earlier each year as global temperatures continue to rise. 

Scientists predict the species could vanish from the province within the next century if these trends continue. 

Previous provincial commitments to cut pollution and protect critical habitat have fallen behind, and Moffatt added that removing recovery strategies adds even more uncertainty. The shift also threatens Indigenous communities in northern Ontario, whose culture and economy are closely linked to healthy Arctic ecosystems. 

"The public deserves to know how the province plans to protect such an important species," Moffatt noted. 

What's being done about the new law?

Advocates are urging Ontario to restore transparency and adopt an evidence-based plan to protect polar bears before it's too late. 

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The federal government is developing a National Polar Bear Management Plan with input from the provinces, territories, and Indigenous leaders — an effort that could help fill the gaps left by Ontario's weakened laws. 

Several Canadian regions are investing in clean energy to enforce stronger habitat safeguards, showing how protecting nature and building a stronger economy can go hand in hand.

Conservationists will be hoping Ontario will follow suit before its most famous northern residents disappear for good.

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