Polar bear story telling & advocacy

To start this event, each participant will hand-write a short letter to the the Minister for Climate and Environment, Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, to support the uplisting to CITES appendix 1. For now, the polar bear is listed on Appendix 2, which means the commercial trade is allowed under certain conditions.

Norway continues to import polar bears. Between 2012 and 2021, Norway imported 185 polar bear hides from Canada, 144 for commercial purposes, 37 as hunting trophies and 4 for personal use.

In 2028, governments will gather at CITES COP21. Polar bears will only be considered for stronger protection if a country submits a proposal to uplist them to Appendix I, which would ban all international commercial trade. Norway is best placed to submit a proposal to protect polar bears from international commerical trade.

One of the polar bears used as a marketing item in Tromsø.

Then take the stage and tell your best polar bear story.

You have worked in Svalbard and other polar bear territories?

If so, you probably have a polar bear story to tell.

Share it with us, the stage is yours!

Email us info@rissa-cs.org to be added to the list of story tellers.

This event is organized in collaboration with the team of Trade Secret and is facilitated by Fint Kafé & Bar.