Polar Bears continue to be in a precarious situation in the NWT.
The Northwest Territories (NWT) Conference of Management Authorities (CMA), has reached consensus to list polar bears for another 10 years as a species of Special Concern on the NWT List of Species at Risk. The CMA was established under the Species at Risk Act to manage and recover species at risk in the NWT.
The signed consensus agreement communicating this decision was provided to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources on April 28, 2022. In accordance with this consensus agreement, the Minister legally listed polar bear for an additional 10 years.
The NWT Species at Risk Committee (SARC) is an independent committee of experts that assesses the status of species in the NWT and makes recommendations on listing under the Species at Risk Act. SARC first assessed polar bear as a species of Special Concern in 2012. The species was re-assessed in April 2021 with no change to its status. An assessment of Special Concern means a species may become Threatened or Endangered in the NWT because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.
The goal of management partners is to ensure the long-term persistence of healthy polar bear populations in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region while maintaining traditional Inuvialuit use.
