Nature Conservation

Introduction

The polar bear’s existence is threatened and in 2006 it got the dubious honor of a place on IUCN’s (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of endangered species. Global warming is clearly the biggest threat to the polar bears as rising temperatures cause their hunting grounds to melt away, making it increasingly difficult for them to find food. In spite of the fact that the polar bear is threatened, about 135 hunting licences are given to local hunters every year.
The skin itself is worth about 2.000 dollars and the meat is used for food. Therefore the polar bear hunt plays an important part in the hunters’ economy. Objectively it may seem inconsistent to hunt an endangered animal and when a huge part of the local economy comes from tourist who come to see the wonderful and unique wildlife, with the polar bear topping the wish list, the licences and the fast money they can offer the local hunters may seem like a short-sighted solution. In 2009 these thoughts inspired me to start this project.

The Project

The project is called Protect a Polar Bear and it will begin in April 2011 in the little town Scoresbysund in Northeast Greenland – every year 35 licenses are given in Scoresbysund and all of them are used. Protect a Polar Bear will offer the hunters an alternative to the bear hunt. They will get the opportunity to sell their licence to international companies, privates and organisations who whish to protect a Polar Bear. As a protector you will get the licence as a certificate and furthermore a graphic logo or a piece of code to put on your web site or brochures. When a licence is sold there will be one less polar bear to shoot this year and if 35 licences are sold, there will be no bear hunting in Scoresbysund that year.

It is not the intention to take away the hunters’ possibility to hunt the bears but only to offer them an economic alternative. The international community does not approve the hunting of endangered species, and I think it is worth to consider the signal that Greenland sends to the rest of the world.

A project like this will send a signal that the Greelanders cherish their country and heritage, including the animals that live in it. It would also be an excellent way to show the Greenland culture as one that adapts to a modern world with an increased focus on our fragile natural resources and where nature conservation and sustainability is gaining priority. Such a project will quickly gain international attention, and with the right attitude and angle, it could contribute with positive coverage of Greenland.

My plan

Since 2007 I have been in Greenland every year for longer periods working on my photo projects and in April this year I am going back to Scoresbysund to start my project Protect a Polar Bear. I have already contacted the hunter association in Scoresbysund and their overall thoughts on the project are positive. When I arrive in the town I will arrange meetings so I can talk to them and find the solutions on the few challenges. 
The biggest challenge for this project is to get the permission from the authorities in Greenland. At the moment it is not possible to buy the polar bear licenses so this is the permission I need. However, I am optimistic because the project is welcomed by the hunters, it´s sustainable development, and it will affect only those hunters who wish to participate, therefore it must be in everyone’s interest.

Whether the project gets underway and I as planned get to buy the first licenses this year, or whether the project is stopped by the authorities, there is plenty of signal value in this idea of sustainability, and for the same reason there will be a cinematographer following me during my time in Greenland, who will capture footage of my work and progress with the project, for a documentary.
I am absolutely delighted to get started, and only hope of support from all sides.

Morten Hilmer