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It is difficult to get an accurate count of polar bears. Estimates in the 1950s and 1960s came from hunters and Inuit reports, which were very local. The invention of the snowmobile and modern icebreakers meant that by the 1970s hunting of polar bears had reduced the population to about 10,000.

In 1973 hunting of polar bears was banned world-wide, except for native peoples, who had quotas set. This led to an increase in numbers. Scientists estimate the present population to be about 22,000 worldwide, of which 60% are in Canada.

There are nineteen Polar Bear groups around the Arctic Circle. At the 2005 IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Polar Bear Specialist group meeting, scientists reported that 5 of these groups of bears were declining in numbers, 5 groups were stable, 2 groups were increasing in numbers and 7 groups didn't have enough data to know.

The Report from the IUCN 2009 meeting found that 8 groups were declining in numbers, 3 groups were stable, 1 group was increasing in numbers and again, 7 groups didn't show enough data.

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13y ago

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