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PCO Press Release: Call for Strategic Action Plan
last update: Jun 18, 2009 04:59 PM
The Polar Conservation Organisation (PCO) is calling for real progress to be made on how to govern the Artic region. The call follows the PCO’s recent participation in an expedition to study the effects of climatic change on Polar Bears in the Canadian High Arctic (near Bathurst Island).
PRESS RELEASE
10 June, 2009
Polar Conservation Organisation calls for strategic action plan on Arctic Treaty
The Polar Conservation Organisation (PCO) is calling for real progress to be made on how to govern the Artic region. The call follows the PCO’s recent participation in an expedition to study the effects of climatic change on Polar Bears in the Canadian High Arctic (near Bathurst Island).
PCO’s Founder Brendon Grunewald who spent 14 days in the region says, “This has been an extremely valuable experience. It has underlined the need to balance the needs and rights of indigenous peoples in the region with broad global conservation trends. PCO intends to lead and stimulate that debate. For example, Polar Bear conservation vs. the indigenous peoples’ right to hunt seems very academic in Brussels, but becomes a very real issue when one sees these magnificent animals live and contrasts that with the sight of bear skins out to dry in villages like Resolute.”
Living conditions in a melting environment
The expedition’s main task was to carry out a survey of polar bears in the Canadian High Arctic (Bathurst Island) as part of a polar bear programme run by the Norwegian Polar Institute. Polar bear habitat has been particularly affected by melting ice throughout the Arctic. During the survey 12 live polar bears were sighted and this data will be added to similar surveys in other Artic regions.
The expedition was led by Jim McNeill (Ice-Warrior) who was accompanied by Ian McCarthy (BAFTA award winning BBC cameraman).
The PCO used the opportunity to gather first-hand information from the field, including the opportunity to understand first hand indigenous peoples’ lives and views in the area, to better understand their concerns related to changes in their living conditions in the Canadian polar environment. The highly sensitive Polar Regions and its inhabitants are the first to suffer the effects of climate change and global warming.
Treaty for sustainable Arctic
The main goal of the PCO is the establishment, maintenance and monitoring of an international framework agreement for a sustainable future of both Polar Regions. Thus, the PCO efforts go beyond climate change and include issues like sovereignty, mineral and other resource exploitation, indigenous peoples’ rights and the conservation of the fauna and flora.
Brendon’s blog of the trip and associated images of the exploration of this white wilderness are available via the PCO website (www.polarconservation.org).
For more information please contact:
Brendon Grunewald or Kris Molle or Elaine McClarence
Polar Conservation Organisation News-Lab
Tel:+32 (2) 7721579 / +1 (877) ICE-EURO (US Toll Free) Tel: +44 7960 952779
Email: partners@polarconservation.org Email:elaine.mcclarence@news-lab.com
ALL PHOTOGRAPHS ARE COPYRIGHT BRENDON GRUNEWALD
