Russia will create a new 3.7 million acre park in the Arctic, a central area for the Barents and Kara Sea polar bear populations.
WWF has long been lobbying for the park, which is also a key area for walrus, wild reindeer and bird population. The park creation excludes all industrial activities in the 1.5 million hectare area.
“The only way these Arctic populations are going to survive the ecological havoc caused by global warming is by providing them with enough breathing room,” says Neil Hamilton Director of WWF International’s Arctic Program.
“If industrial activity is kept far enough from key habitat, the animals have a chance.”
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