Arctic
Conserving our Future Arctic
Warming twice as fast as the global average, the Arctic is melting. Wildlife like polar bears, whales and caribou – and the people who depend on them – are facing unprecedented challenges.
Untapped oil reserves, new shipping routes, and industrial fishing opportunities are fueling a global race to exploit the Arctic’s resources. Another path is possible, in which stewardship prevails, so that communities thrive and vulnerable species survive into the next century.
© Paul Nicklen / National Geographic Stock / WWF-Canada
Accounting for close to 40 percent of our country’s landmass and two-thirds of our coastline, the Arctic is a key part of what makes us Canadians. If we don’t act soon to get responsible rules and protections in place, the chance to secure responsible stewardship for this region could slip through our fingers.
Polar Bear Tracker
Follow radio-collared bears as they explore their sea-ice habitat in the Hudson Bay.
Canada is home to over a quarter of the world’s Arctic lands and waters. Over 70 percent of the world’s polar bears spend at least part of their lives in Canadian waters. Canadians have a special responsibility to the Arctic. The Canadian Arctic is administered by Inuit governments thanks to comprehensive land claim agreements signed in the last thirty years. Inuit communities still subsist on caribou, polar bear, musk oxen and ringed seals as they have for centuries.
© Kevin SCHAFER / WWF-Canon
© Kevin SCHAFER / WWF-Canon
Arctic blogs
-
Over 42,000 voices for polar bears!
When we asked WWF supporters to thank Arctic countries for their work to conserve ...
-
Polar Bears: It’s all about conserving energy
Visiting polar bears in Churchill is a great reminder: we must be better neighbours ...
-
Offshore Arctic drilling? Not so fast!
A coalition of oil companies wants to drill in the deep waters of Canada’s Beaufort ...
