444 



POLAR BEAR 



The State of Alaska manages polar bears, recognizing that they are a renew- 

 able resource, capable of sustaining an annual harvest without jeopardizing the 

 welfare of the species. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is recom- 

 mending that a more sophisticated management policy be adopted by the state 

 with high quality recreation use (photography, hunting, observation) as its 

 principle objectives. Under the proposed policy, the use of aircraft in hunting 

 polar bears would be prohibited and replaced by ground himting, employing 

 Eskimo guides. This would upgrade the quality of recreation furnished^ by hunt- 

 ing, and would be more acceptable to the general public. In addition, the number 

 of bears taken would be reduced to a level where there would be no reason foi 

 concern about excessive harvests. 



Only skins from those bears taken without the aid of aircraft can now be sold. 

 Under the proposed new policy, sale of all skins would be prohibited. This would 

 seem desirable if the economy of northern Alaskan coastal villages could then 

 be bolstered by income received by Eskimos for guiding persons interested in 

 photographing, hunting and observing bears. 



The program for harvest assessment, initiated shortly after statehood, and 

 intensified in succeeding years, has provided detailed harvest data since 1961. 

 An intensive mark and recovery program is providing information on move- 

 ments and the discreteness of sub-populations of polar bears. The State of 

 Alaska is also conducting studies on polar bear breeding biology and produc- 

 tivity, denning, relationships of bears to sea ice and seal populations, incidence 

 and levels of parasites, pesticides, and pollutants, in bears, and is radio-tracking 

 these animals from aircraft (and hopefully satellites) to determine movements 

 and obtain related information. Although it would be desirable for other or- 

 ganizations to study various aspects of polar bear life history, it would be 

 most unfortunate if research projects now being conducted by the State of 

 Alaska were terminated. This would occur if primary responsibility for research 

 and management were transferred from the State of Alaska to the federal 

 government. 



It is acknowledged that only the federal government can conduct treaty 

 negotiations with foreign governments. However, the State of Alaska could 

 act as an advisor to the federal government in any such negotiations. This ap- 

 proach was successfully achieved by the unified and cooperative efforts of 

 federal and state representatives at the 1965 International Polar Bear Meeting. 

 Biologists from the State of Alaska have dealt directly and in a productive 

 manner with research personnel from the federal government, and from other 

 nations. This is evidenced by the good working relationships within the Inter- 

 national Polar Bear Group of the International Union for the Conservation 

 of Nature. 



SUMMARY 



Marine mammals occurring in the waters adjacent to Alaska and which are 

 currently utilized to some degree by Alaska residents include : Steller's sea lion, 

 sea otter, land-breeding harbor seal, northern fur seal, ice-breeding harbor 

 seal, ringed seal, ribbon seal, bearded seal. Pacific walrus, polar bear, beluga 

 whale, bowhead whale and California grey whale (the latter two are legally 

 hunted by natives as the result of specific exceptions in regulations of the 

 International Whaling Commission). 



The Constitution of the State of Alaska states that, "Fish, forests, wildlife, 

 grasslands, and all other replenishable resources belonging to the State shall 

 be utilized, developed, and maintained on the sustained yield principle, subject 

 to preferences among beneficial uses." (Article VIII, sec. 4). According to 

 Alaska Statutes. Title 16, Section 16.05.020, the Commissioner of the Depart- 

 ment of Fish and Game shall ". . . manage, protect, maintain, improve, and 

 extend the fish, game and aquatic plant resources of the State in the interest 

 of the economy and general well-being of the State. * * *" 



The mandates set forth by the State Constitution and statutes are in part 

 presently being met by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Investigation, 

 management and protection programs are presently directed toward marine 

 mammals as well as other fish and wildlife species. Six senior biologists, rep- 

 resenting 72 man-months of time per year, are presently involved in the research 



