Minister Aglukkaq Leads Canada's International Efforts to Conserve Polar Bear

MOSCOW, Russia, Dec. 6, 2013 /CNW/ - The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council, met with counterparts in Moscow, Russia, to celebrate the 40^th Anniversary of the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears. During the meeting, Range States agreed upon a joint declaration aimed at furthering the international conservation and management of polar bears.

"In signing this Declaration, the Range States have committed to developing and implementing comprehensive monitoring programs throughout the Arctic, in light of a recognized need for reliable data," said Minister Aglukkaq. "We have also committed to ensuring that Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge is integrated into our polar bear management decisions. Finally, signing this Declaration represents a commitment to managing changes, such as increased economic development, that will continue to take place in our shared Arctic region."

While in Moscow, the Polar Bear Range States countries (Canada, the United States, Norway, Russia, and the Kingdom of Denmark), who are signatories to the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears, renewed their commitment to polar bear conservation and management through the signing of a Declaration. The 2013 Declaration celebrates successful cooperation achieved over the last 40 years, recognizes the need for engagement with local communities in the North, and highlights important emerging issues impacting the species such as climate change and illegal trade.

For more information, please read the Declaration of the Responsible Ministers of the Polar Bear Range States.

SOURCE: Environment Canada

Jennifer Kennedy
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