Global News - September 2007

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Polar bears set to get US protection?

Wed 19 September 2007 14:00 UK — North America

Officials in the US took another step towards offering polar bears federal protection as an endangered species, with the start of a public consultation over the species.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are set to publish an announcement in the Federal Register which will notify people that nine research papers on polar bears - recently completed by the US Geological Survey (USGS) - are available to be read.

A statement added: "[This research] will be used by the Service in reaching a final decision on whether to protect the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act."

At the same time, the USFWS will reopen a public consolation on the issue.

The most recent USGS report suggested that climate change could reduce sea ice in the Arctic. This could result in the loss of up to two-thirds of the world's polar bear population.

When the research was launched, secretary of the interior Dirk Kempthorne commented: "This information will be vital to the ultimate decision on whether the species should be listed."

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