Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears

 

Article I

1. The taking of polar bears shall be prohibited except as provided in
Article III.

2. For the purposes of this Agreement, the term “taking”includes
hunting, killing and capturing.

Article II

Each Contracting Party shall take appropriate action to protect the
ecosystems of which polar bears are a part, with special attention to
habitat components such as denning and feeding sites and migration
patterns, and shall manage polar bear populations in accordance with
sound conservation practices based on the best available scientific data.

Article III

1. Subject to the provisions of Articles II and IV, any Contracting Party
may allow the taking of polar bears when such taking is carried out:

a) for bona fide scientific purposes; or

b) by that Party for conservation purposes; or

c) to prevent serious disturbance of the management of other living
resources, subject to forfeiture to that Party of the skins and
other items of value resulting from such taking; or

d) by local people using traditional methods in the exercise of their
traditional rights and in accordance with the laws of that Party;
or

e) wherever polar bears have or might have been subject to taking by
traditional means by its nationals.

2. The skins and other items of value resulting from taking under
sub-paragraphs (b) and (c) of paragraph 1 of this Article shall not be
available for commercial purposes.

Article IV

The use of aircraft and large motorized vessels for the purpose of taking
polar bears shall be prohibited, except where the application of such
prohibition would be inconsistent with domestic laws.

Article V

A Contracting Party shall prohibit the exportation from, the importation
and delivery into, and traffic within, its territory of polar bears or
any part or product thereof taken in violation of this Agreement.

Article VI

1. Each Contracting Party shall enact and enforce such legislation and
other measures as may be necessary for the purpose of giving effect to
this Agreement.

2. Nothing in this Agreement shall prevent a Contracting Party from
maintaining or amending existing legislation or other measures or
establishing new measures on the taking of polar bears so as to provide
more stringent controls than those required under the provisions of this
Agreement.

Article VII

The Contracting Parties shall conduct national research programmes on
polar bears, particularly research relating to the conservation and
management of the species. They shall as appropriate co-ordinate such
research with research carried out by other Parties, consult with other
Parties on the management of migrating polar bear populations, and
exchange information on research and management programmes, research
results and data on bears taken.

Article VIII

Each Contracting Party shall take action as appropriate to promote
compliance with the provisions of this Agreement by nationals of States
not party to this Agreement.

Article IX

The Contracting Parties shall continue to consult with one another with
the object of giving further protection to polar bears.

Article X

1. This Agreement shall be open for signature at Oslo by the Governments
of Canada, Denmark, Norway, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and
the United States of America until 31 March 1974.

2. This Agreement shall be subject to ratification or approval by the
signatory Governments. Instruments of ratification or approval shall be
deposited with the Government of Norway as soon as possible.

3. This Agreement shall be open for accession by the Governments referred
to in paragraph 1 of this Article. Instruments of accession shall be
deposited with the Depositary Government.

4. This Agreement shall enter into force ninety days after the deposit of
the third instrument of ratification, approval or accession. Thereafter,
it shall enter into force for a signatory or acceding Government on the
date of deposit of its instrument of ratification, approval or accession.

5. This Agreement shall remain in force initially for a period of five
years from its date of entry into force, and unless any Contracting Party
during that period requests the termination of the Agreement at the end
of that period, it shall continue in force thereafter.

6. On the request addressed to the Depositary Government by any of the
Governments referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, consultations
shall be conducted with a view to convening a meeting of representatives
of the five Governments to consider the revision or amendment of this
Agreement.

7. Any Party may denounce this Agreement by written notification to the
Depositary Government at any time after five years from the date of entry
into force of this Agreement. The denunciation shall take effect twelve
months after the Depositary Government has received the notification.

8. The Depositary Government shall notify the Governments referred to in
paragraph 1 of this Article of the deposit of instruments of
ratification, approval or accession, of the entry into force of this
Agreement and of the receipt of notifications of denunciation and any
other communications from a Contracting Party specifically provided for
in this Agreement.

9. The original of this Agreement shall be deposited with the Government
of Norway which shall deliver certified copies thereof to each of the
Governments referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article.

10. The Depositary Government shall transmit certified copies of this
Agreement to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for registration
and publication in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the
United Nations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorized by their
Governments, have signed this Agreement.

DONE at Oslo, in the English and Russian languages, each text being
equally authentic, this fifteenth day of November, 1973.

Author: international

Mentioned in these Entries

Conventions: Chronological Index 1971-1990, Flora and Fauna – Biodiversity conventions.