Polar bear range state delegations from the United States, Canada, Russia, Greenland and Norway met at the Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, June 26-28, 2007, to exchange information on a number of polar bear issues, including sport and subsistence harvest, import and export of polar bear parts and products, the status of polar bear populations and their management programs, and to identify areas where nations can further collaborate to advance polar bear conservation through research, monitoring or management.

The meeting at the training center marked the first time that the five nations have met to exchange information about polar bears since signing the Agreement for the Conservation of Polar Bears, in 1973, which called for the signatories to coodinate research efforts, share information, consult with each other and continue cooperation to increase protection for the world's populations of the emblematic marine mammal. Documents introduced by each country at the meeting will be posted on this site.

Unless otherwise noted, all documents will be posted as PDF files. You may need the free Adobe Reader for these files.

Final Meeting Summary and Plenary Session Summaries (posted November 15, 2007)

Meeting Summary

Plenary One

Plenary Two

Plenary Three

Plenary Four

Plenary Five

Plenary Six

Participants’ Presentations

United States (2.8 MB file)

Canada (50 KB file)

Russia (in English, 1.2 MB file) (in Russian 1.25 MB file)

Greenland (revised version, posted 11-15-07) (775 KB file)

Norway

• Polar Bear Research (964 KB file)
• Polar Bear Management (1.17 MB) (posted November 21, 2007)