(MWN / 09-10-09) Humane Society International, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Defenders of Wildlife and the Animal Welfare Institute urged Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russian Federation and the United States to submit a proposal to next year's meeting of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to stop the international trade in polar bears.

The meeting is set for next March 13-25 in Doha, Qatar. Polar bears in the wild live entirely within the five countries. There are presently between 20,000 and 25,000 polar bears and the number is decreasing. Polar bears are completely dependent on sea ice, which they use for hunting prey, reproduction and movement. Sea ice is rapidly disappearing as climate change causes increased warming.

Some scientists have concluded that polar bears will not survive past the end of this century due to the complete loss of summer sea ice. In addition to hunting trophies, polar bear parts —skin, fur, claws, skulls and even stuffed bears— enter international commercial trade. More than 500 polar bear skins are traded annually; most are exported from Canada to Japan.