Polar Bear Battle Won in U.S.

Polar Bear Hunting Battle Won, Fight Continues



Washington, D.C. – Safari Club International applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for overwhelmingly defeating an ill-advised amendment that would have undermined global conservation for polar bears.



This amendment, sponsored by Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Washington) and Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-New Jersey), would have forbidden the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from processing permit applications for the importation of polar bear hides or parts into the U.S. Although purporting to “protect” polar bears, this amendment would not have reduced polar bear mortalities related to hunting. If U.S. hunters did not take these polar bears, the same number of bears would be hunted by individuals from native communities in Canada and/or by hunters from other countries.



But by effectively stopping American hunters from hunting in Canada, this amendment would have removed one incentive for the Canadian governments to fund (at least in the amount of $1,000,000 per year) the current, successful Canadian efforts to conserve the bear. If the amendment had succeeded, it would also have destroyed the source of funding (from the permit fees paid to the U.S. government) for polar bear research in the U.S. and Russia.



The attempt to add the amendment to the House Interior Appropriations bill was clearly defeated by a vote of 188-242. Lawmakers voting to block the amendment recognized it as a purely emotion-driven attack on hunting in general.



Numerous sporting and conservation organizations rallied to oppose this amendment, including SCI, the National Rifle Association and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.



Also allied in opposition to this amendment were the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Government of Nunavut (where many healthy populations of polar bears reside), and the federal Canadian government, which issued a strong letter of opposition to the amendment co-sponsors.



A website has been developed to counter the misinformation campaign and emotional, non-scientific arguments put forth by anti-hunting legislators, and the anti-hunting groups they support. This site can be found at www.polarbearfacts.org .



Another battle may need to be fought in the Senate. Similar language was inserted in the Senate Interior Appropriations bill by Sen. Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) but the Senate has not yet completed action on its version of the bill.



SCI President Dennis Anderson said, “Defeating the House amendment was an important victory, but while this battle is won, the war against the conservation benefits of sustainable polar bear hunting, and hunting in general, wages on. All sportsmen and women must continue to let their Congressional delegations know they oppose such anti-hunting efforts.”



SCI’s work will continue in the Senate to make sure that this bad idea never sees the light of day.

[Batman]

Sheep,

You seemed to be quite involved in SCI, or maybe you are just an interested observer. Either way what has SCI's involvement been in Canada/Alberta?

Instead of leaving a loaded question on the board I will tell you where I am going with this. SCI has obviously leveraged its membership into political clout in the US, with the feds none the less. As we are all aware this is something that we are completely lacking here in Alberta. Is SCI much of a presence here and if so are they in front of governments? and if not do you think they will be? and again if not are there things that you know that SCI does that would be productive here in Canada/Alberta?

Actually I just get there regular news releases and passed it along.

There is a northern and southern Chapter in Alberta and I am aware of a few things they've been involved in but I'm sure there are people on this board far more qualified to talk about their good work than me.