The global population of polar bears is declining -- only 20,000 to 25,000 are left in the world -- and yet, amazingly, some countries continue to allow commercial trade in polar bear products such as fur skin rugs. Many of these skins and products, for which hundreds of polar bears are killed each year, find their way into the European Union.
Although currently listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), polar bear parts and products can still be legally traded internationally. But adding polar bears to Appendix I would stop this commercial trade and ensure that it does not further compound the threat already posed by loss of habitat.
TAKE ACTION
The United States has submitted a proposal for the upcoming CITES meeting to give the polar bear added protection by moving it from Appendix II to Appendix I. We urgently need you to contact your Environment Minister to urge him or her to vote for increased protection for vulnerable polar bears.
More than 25,000 polar bear specimens and products (polar bear skin rugs, skins, claws, bodies, trophies, live animals) were traded internationally in the past 10 years, including more than 5,000 for commercial purposes (e.g. polar bear skin rugs) and non-commercial purposes (e.g. trophies). Sadly, these numbers are on the rise, having increased since the early 1990s. And these figures only include the recorded legal trade!
Representatives of the EU Member States meet next week to discuss how the EU will vote at the March CITES meeting on proposals affecting different species, including polar bears. Please contact your Environment Minister by Monday, 1st February and ask him or her to support the polar bear proposal at CITES!
Then, spread the word to everyone you know to ask them to take action for polar bears, too.
Thank you for all that you do to help animals.

Sincerely,
Andrew Rowan
President & CEO
Humane Society International