158 



Mr. GooDLiNG. Has Interior given any thought to placing polar 

 l)«i.i"fl on the endangered species list ? 



Dr. T^ixDUSKA. It has been talked about, but here again we are 

 l(K'ked in by provisions in the Endangered Species Act. We must 

 abide by a fairly strict definition of worldwide endangerment. 



We cannot see the animal in that precarious a state at the moment, 

 iind it would be stret-ching the fact, to do so. The provisions of the 

 act pi-etty well prevent it. 



Mr. GooDLiNG. What is the estimated world population of the polar 

 bear. 



Dr. LixDUSKA. I will have to have some help on tha/t. 



Mr. Hansen. Well, as you can well imagine, precise data concern- 

 ing maritime species such as the polar bear are difficult to get, and 

 that is one of the purposes of this five-nation study team. 



We have a reasonably good fix of the bear population off the coast 

 of Alaska, numbering between 3,000 and 3,500 animals. 



We assume they are two distinct populations, one associated with 

 the Wrangel Island denning area in Russia, and the other associated 

 with the islands of northern Canada. If we draw a line from Point 

 Barrow to the North Pole, the bears to the west would be associated 

 with the Russian maternity area. The bears to the east are associated 

 with the Canadian Archipelago. 



Mr. GooDLiNG. How much has that population declined in the last 

 15 or 20 years? 



Mr. Hansen. Our studies do not extend back that far. We have data 

 that go back only to about 1966 or a little earlier. The figures we have 

 put together today are essentially the same as those we had in 1966, 

 but we have a great deal more confidence in today's figure. 



This may be little more than a coincidence, but we do have reason- 

 able confidence in today's figures off the coast of Alaska. 



Worldwide, we consider the population of polar bears to be in the 

 range of 10,000 to 15,000 animals, but there again, that is subject to 

 a good deal of variation depending on who has accumulated the data 

 and the accuracy of it. 



Mr. GooDLiNG. Has there been an alarming decline? 



Mr. Hansen. Apparently not off the coast of Alaska. 



We have some harvest data for 1969. The harvest by countries 

 included 128 bear from Greenland, 346 from Norw^ay, 406 from 

 Canada, 298 in the U.S.A. That is off the coast of Alaska. 



Of course, the season is closed in Russia. Last year the harvest in 

 Alaska was approximately 200 bear, down from the year before, but 

 Alaska controls the harvest by permit. They have only allowed 300 

 pei-mits for each of the past several years. That is the most bear that 

 can legally he. taken. 



Mr. Dingell. AVhat you are saying, if the gentleman will yield, is 

 that in this vast expanse in which polar hunting is going forward, 

 the Alaskans are having about two out of thi-ee success undertaking 

 of polar bear. 



Mr. Hansen. Having a w^hat? 



Mr. Dingell. About a two and three success. The hunters' success 

 ratio is running alx)ut two out of three, about a 66 percent chance. 



Mr. Hansen. That is of the number of permits that are issued. 



There is a possibility that there may be several permits acquired 

 that are not used. 



