In the depths of the Frozen Yukon a secluded stretch of river still flows through early
winter as bubbling groundwater stops ice forming it's the perfect spot for late spawning
salmon this rich food source helps support both Frosty coated Ice Bears and local.
people we know these bears as Ice Bears because the moisture from all the Open
Water creates icicles on their fur and a lot of people talk about the
tinkling chum salmon come back into this River year after year because of the
quality of the groundwater for spawning and it is by far the most productive.
salmon spawning area I have ever seen But in recent years there are fewer
salmon arriving in the river the situation where faced with this year is very
dire we have a collapse of all salmon stocks so now you know with the salmon
being impacted we're seeing less Bears return to the region 28 years ago I counted 53
individual bears and this year we have seen four different Grizzlies.
it's warming Trends in the ocean it's over harvesting on the river system it's
over harvesting through the trollers it's by catch is a big problem so it's
compound.
it's not one specific reason why we see the decline the impact of less salmon in
this ecology here will impact the knowledge passed down from mother grizzly bears to their offspring
traditionally they end up using that same territory so I think with lower and
lower salmon production we're likely to see much much less uh bear activity here
the vuk witch in First Nation who have coexisted with the river and its Ice
Bears for Millennia are also feeling the change as the salmon disappear
threatening their food security we don't want the story to be one day this used
to be full of fish and this is what it tasted like and this is what it was like to go
fishing without salmon.
I would suspect that we would lose a part of our
culture this year was the first year our leadership put a closure on salmon
fishing we've been using salmon from other rivers flying it into our
community so that we're not putting more harvesting pressure on our stem of the
river and that's not sustainable that's not in line with the way we live our
lives we can't just think for today or for for tomorrow we have to think about
what does the future hold for us how do we manage that effectively grin have so much respect
for the resources that we rely on it's embedded in our spirituality it's a
relationship and when you don't have relationships.
it's quiet it's kind of
empty and void the feeling of grief caused by environment Al change in one's own
landscape is known as solastalgia my two oldest sons have both
worked at this site when there were reasonable numbers of fish and
bears and I was so pleased that they could come here and witness this event with
me this year my youngest son is here for the first time and he has to see this that's heartbreaking to me
we're seeing the weather warming faster than anywhere else in the world really Humanity hasn't learned to
live on this planet sustainably and I think this is is proof of that what are we willing to do to
keep the biodiversity of each of our special regions throughout the world the
glitchen alone can't be faced with that question.
this is a world question the community
needs to somehow find a balance between continuing doing what they're doing on
the land with pushing higher and higher up in in the political ranks for Action
to happen and that's a big job along with local leadership Fisheries organizations are working on
protecting wild salmon stocks but the future of the gwitchin the Bears and this ecosystem will depend on the voices
of the Next Generation we all have have a fundamental obligation to protect the
environment if the kids are connected to the land and they know how to provide
for themselves they will be the best voice and continue that stewardship.
It seems like you're referring to polar bears, often called "ice bears" due to their reliance on sea ice for hunting and habitat. The Yukon, while not traditionally known as polar bear habitat, does indeed have a connection to polar bears through its proximity to the Arctic regions where these bears live.
The phrase "A Fragile Future for the Yukon’s Ice Bears" suggests concern about the future of polar bears in the Yukon region, likely due to the impacts of climate change. Polar bears are highly dependent on sea ice for hunting seals, their primary prey. However, as Arctic sea ice diminishes due to global warming, polar bears are facing increased challenges in finding food and maintaining their populations.
Here are some reasons why the future may be fragile for polar bears in the Yukon and elsewhere:
1. Loss of Sea Ice: Polar bears rely on sea ice as a platform for hunting seals, their main food source. As sea ice melts earlier in the spring and forms later in the fall, polar bears have less time to hunt, leading to nutritional stress and reduced reproductive success.
2. Disruption of Habitat: Declining sea ice also means polar bears have to travel longer distances to find suitable hunting grounds, which can result in increased energy expenditure and difficulty in finding food.
3. Threats from Human Activities: Oil and gas exploration, shipping, and other human activities in the Arctic can disturb polar bear habitats and increase the risk of encounters between bears and humans.
4. Contaminants: Pollution, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) like PCBs and pesticides, accumulates in the Arctic food web and can adversely affect polar bear health and reproduction.
Efforts to mitigate these threats include international agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conservation measures to protect polar bear habitat, and research to better understand polar bear ecology and behavior. However, the future of Yukon's ice bears and polar bears globally remains uncertain in the face of ongoing climate change.
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