An investigation by The Guardian alleges the World Wildlife Fund's position on the polar bear fur trade is shockingly lax. Critics argue the organization should use its considerable influence to put an end to the practice.
What's happening?
According to The Guardian, the WWF has backed the international commercial trade of polar bear furs as part of a sustainable wildlife management policy that supports economic development to improve a species' situation.
However, critics say the WWF is failing to live up to standards adopted by the majority of wildlife protection organizations. In addition to supporting the fur trade for endangered polar bears, it has pushed against upgrading protections for elephants, giraffes, hippos, and rhinos.
Canada is home to around two-thirds of the remaining 22,000-31,000 polar bears left worldwide, and it is the only country that still allows hunting of the creatures. Russia, Greenland, Norway, and the United States have banned the practice. The Great White North exports 300-400 pelts each year, mostly to China, and earns around $60,000 per full pelt.
Why is this important?
While polar bear protection may seem like a minor concern, the species' role as a top predator helps keep the food web in balance, as Protect the Arctic explains.
When these food webs collapse, a host of other fauna and flora can be impacted, contributing to biodiversity loss — which can affect our own food supply and, according to a study published in PNAS, increase the risk of human exposure to zoonotic pathogens.
Former WWF Director Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud, who worked with the organization for nearly three decades, highlighted to The Guardian how the WWF's prestigious name could help it push for more stringent wildlife protections.
"The WWF name, certainly from my experience, had a lot of leverage. If I approached people, they wanted to hear what I had to say. … WWF has an influence, and it still has an influence," Jeanrenaud said. "I think the public will be even more than surprised, perhaps shocked. I know that it's the sort of thing that I have difficulty getting my head around."
What can be done about this?
Educating yourself about greenwashing and critical climate issues can help you determine if an organization is engaged in the practice before you throw your support behind it.
For its part, the WWF stated that it "does not lobby for or work to support or promote the polar bear fur trade" and noted it was reaching out to The Guardian about inaccuracies. On Feb. 17, two days after the report was published, the news outlet updated the piece.
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Definitely 👍 "Hunting is a complex issue, often linked to the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and as such we don't oppose it in all cases," the WWF said.
The organization added that it classified polar bears under the less restrictive Appendix II based on the available data because "Appendix I is seen as a last resort for species which are in high demand in trade, or species that have undergone catastrophic declines."
It says it also helps educate communities about how to coexist with the creatures. Rising global temperatures have contributed to more dangerous human-bear encounters as the sea ice polar bears rely on melts.
"The most important factors to improve the long-term survival of polar bears are reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving polar bear habitats. This is where we focus our efforts, on the most pressing and dominant threats to the species," the WWF states.
You can reduce heat-trapping pollution from your household by upgrading to LEDs and other energy-efficient technology and unplugging appliances that aren't being used.
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