Statement by National Inuit Leader Mary Simon, President of ITK – CITES Parties Affirm Rejection of Polar Bear Proposal

March 25, 2010 – Ottawa, Ontario - It gives me great pleasure to confirm that the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to CITES officially concluded today with the Parties affirming their decision to reject the US proposal to up list the Polar Bear from Appendix II to Appendix I. The decision came before the final plenary with no motions to reopen it and was subsequently adopted and is now final. The Inuit of Canada were very concerned that if the proposal had passed, it would have resulted in an international trade ban on Polar Bear and would have directly affected Inuit here in Canada and on a circumpolar level. We were also quite concerned that an up listing would occur without the prerequisite scientific and trade level bases to meet Appendix I criteria.

I would like to first offer my heartfelt congratulations and thanks to all our representatives who attended the COP to lobby on our behalf to ensure our interests were heard and supported by the Parties. In the months that led up to the COP, ITK along with representatives from the Inuvialuit, Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut regions, and ICC Canada, undertook planning and strategy development to prepare for the COP. With the participation at the COP of our organization, the Inuvialuit Game Council, the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (NWT and North Slope), Joint Secretariat, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, and the Nunatsiavut Government, there was a sizeable team to ensure a successful lobbying effort.

I would like to specifically thank Frank Pokiak, Chair of the Inuvialuit Game Council, for taking part on the Canadian delegation and intervening on behalf of the Inuit of Canada during the tabling of the US proposal. I would also like to thank Environment Canada for providing us the opportunity to intervene from the delegation table and working in coordinated efforts with Inuit organizations. Furthermore, I would also like thank the governments of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut for engaging in the effort for Canada as a whole.

The CITES process can be a very contentious one between the Parties when it comes to the trade in and conservation of wildlife species, such as in the case of COP15 with regard to Tuna, Elephants and Ivory, Sharks, and Polar Bear. In looking toward the next COP in two or three years time, we must remain vigilant in promoting and defending our sustainable use and management of Arctic species, and our culture and livelihoods attached to these species. We must also remain engaged with scientific research, traditional knowledge, and with Parties and organizations globally who are committed to sustainable use and wildlife management, and who will be our partners and allies between now and the upcoming COP16 to be hosted by Thailand.