How can people say the polar bear population is increasing?

Question

Every source I find shows the populations have decreased since at least 1977 except in the Davis Strait which has banned seal hunting. Even in areas where polar bear hunting is legal they say the increased birth rates have not kept up with the mortality rates.
In addtion, the average weight of the polar bears is decreasing. Why would the WCU put them on the Threatened list and the US is considering putting them on the Endangered list if they were increasing so much???
The estimated population was 25-40,000 in 1993 and today is 20-25,000. Surveys I have seen (not using any sites that complain about global warming) show the population has decreased 22% since 1980.

Answer 1

How can people say that the polar bear population is decreasing?

There has never been a global census of polar bears, and given the environment they live in, it's unlikely there ever will be.

It may very well be true that polar bear populations are decreasing, but I have yet to see a shred of empirical evidence that A) proves that polar bear populations are decreasing globally, and B) proves that it is in any way linked to global warming (a contentious issue itself)

Anecdotal evidence of reduced or increased populations are meaningless because all they do is provide a small snapshot of what's happening in one place. It does not provide any information about what is happening to a species globally, even if it does make for good headlines. A good example are recent headlines about increased bear populations in the Davis Strait. You seem to want to attribute their increase to changes in human seal hunting, but there is not a single shred of evidence to support that contention either.

Also, quoting population estimates that are localised to the US or Canada is also meaningless without considering the populations of Greenland, Scandinavia and Russia. How would you know if global warming is affecting bear populations negatively without studying the population on a global scale?

If you really want know whats going on with any animal or plant species, or the environment these days, you really have to sort through a lot of crap and media hype. There are lots of theories and bold statements, but in reality, there are not a lot of proven facts.

Answer 2

Do all these bears have numbers on their backs that can be counted and added to a list? No, the biologists cover an area and count as many as they can in that one place. Then they extrapolate a number that their motivation determines. If they believe that populace is going down, they report that. If they think that the bears are doing alright, they report that. It's not wrong, it's a judgment they make based on their "findings" in their area. White on white and they all look alike!

Answer 3

I never heard that i heard they were going to be on endangered species list very soon

Answer 4

people are ignorant. plain and simple.