Demand for Polar Bear Hides Soars at Fur Auction

The world continues to mourn the loss of Knut, Berlin Zoo’s hand-raised polar bear, who died last month. Many Knut fans are now protesting the zoo's plans to stuff the world's most famous polar bear for museum display.

Unfortunately, this taxidermy fate is not unusual for polar bears. Fur Harvesters Auction Inc., one of Canada's largest fur auction houses, says it cannot meet the soaring demand for polar bear hides, which are used for displays in museums and airports or are made into bear skin rugs.

"The supply does not even come close to meeting the demand," said Mark Downey, the auction house's chief executive officer.

At the Fur Harvesters Auction Inc.'s most recent sale in January, polar bear hides sold for an average of $5,000, and one hide sold for a record high of $11,000. A total of 80 polar bear hides were sold at the winter auction.

Demand and prices for the polar bear hides have increased dramatically in the past five years, despite the polar bear's 2008 classification as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. This classification resulted after studies predicted that nearly two-thirds of the world's polar bear population will wiped out by 2050 due to decline in Arctic sea ice.

The demand for polar bear hides will only accelarate the extinction of the arctic animals. The Fur Harvesters Auction website claims that "no furbearing species is endangered or threatened by fur trapping," and falsely assures website visitors that specific fur harvesting quotas keep species from declining.

But in Quebec and Ontario, where much polar bear hunting occurs, there is no fixed hunting quota system for the bears. And since there's no limit on the hunt, the number can rise in accordance with demand. Hunters in Inukjuak, Quebec have reportedly killed at least 60 polar bears since January, even though fewer than four bears have been killed per year in the past in that area.

It is irresponsible to be hunting polar bears for decorative purposes when the bears are already in distress due to global warming. Sign our petition to demand that the Fur Harvesters Auction Inc. stop selling polar bear hides.