華盛頓公約(
國際瀕危物種貿易公約，CITES)175個成員國的代表於18日決定，北極熊產製品的交易將不再受到CITES的限制。
野生動物保育以及動物保護組織紛紛表示，他們對於停止對北極熊提供保護的決定感到不安。保育團體指出，在全球氣候變遷以及棲地逐漸流失的威脅之下，保育措施能夠在未來十年之中，提供至少3000頭北極熊不受商業交易的威脅。
國際人道協會(Humane Society International)野生動物董事以及物種生存網路執行董事的泰瑞莎博士說，我們對於CITES成員代表不支持這麼重要的議案感到十分的失望。
她繼續說道：禁止對北極熊產製品如毛皮地毯的商業貿易，對於因氣候變遷導致棲息地減少、族群數量受到威脅的北極熊而言，有很大的幫助。而現在的決定對北極熊族群而言，很可能成為壓垮駱駝最後一根的稻草。
保育團體也指出，氣候變遷正在摧毀北極熊棲息所需的海冰，預估在2050年以前，北極熊數量大約會因此減少3分之2。北極熊需要在海冰上面獵捕海豹，沒有海冰他們無法生存。
僅僅在加拿大，每年就有689頭北極熊被合法的獵捕，平均出口300件北極熊產製品。
格陵蘭在2008年頒布暫停令以前，也是北極熊產製品出口國。但儘管頒布了暫時禁令，格陵蘭每年仍然允許捕殺130頭北極熊，以作為將來恢復國際貿易之用。其他分布有北極熊的國家如美國、挪威、俄羅斯聯邦等，目前都禁止北極熊產製品的國際貿易。
歐盟則是北極熊製品最大的進口區域，過去十年進口了775件毛皮以及1279件皮件，佔了北極熊產製品貿易總量的65%。
保育團體指出，由於無法確認取得的方式是否符合永續經營，歐盟當局現在已經暫停來自加拿大兩個北極熊族群的標本輸入，但是仍無法阻止加拿大地區其他5個北極熊族群數量的下降。
另外兩個來自摩納哥以及歐盟，被CITES代表否決的類似提案，則是對於大西洋黑鮪魚的商業捕撈禁令，提案希望藉由禁令來恢復已經岌岌可危的黑鮪魚族群量。
這個議案由於日本在投票日前數日積極的遊說而被否決，日本每年消費大西洋黑鮪所有捕獲量的80%，主要是做成壽司。
歐盟執委會中27個歐盟成員國對此結論表示十分的失望。
歐盟環境執委波托奇尼克(Janez Potocnik)以及漁業執委達曼納基(Maria Damanaki)稱，這個提案是為了黑鮪魚以及漁民的永續利益，「我們仍然堅信，為了確保大西洋黑鮪魚數量能夠恢復，嚴格的措施有其必要性」。
他們更進一步指出，如果沒有採取行動，黑鮪魚很可能永遠消失。
世界自然基金會地中海漁業首長以及CITES會議觀察員塞爾吉博士(Sergi Tudela)說，「過去數月以來，即使有大西洋兩岸主要的黑鮪魚漁獲配額持有者的支持，越來越多科學證據以及政治立場也同意，但各國政府卻沒有機會對黑鮪魚國際貿易禁令進行有意義的辯論，實在是件非常的令人反感的事」。
綠色和平組織加拿大海洋運動人士沙拉在海利法克斯表示，今天是哀悼日。就在今天稍早，綠色和平人士才在Sobeys超市內舉行了送葬儀式，為曾是大西洋東岸代表性物種的鱈魚哀悼。
沙拉又說道：「幾乎就在同樣的時刻，世界各地政府拒絕了對嚴重瀕危物種的保護，使黑鮪魚面對同樣的命運」。
由於西北大西洋鱈魚被過度的捕撈，導致美國以及加拿大在1990年代初期，魚貨量急遽下降。即使已停止捕撈，鱈魚的數量至今仍然沒有恢復。
International trade in polar bear parts and products will not be restricted under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, CITES,delegates from 175 countries decided today.
Wildlife conservation and animal protection organizations say they are disturbed by the decision not to protect the polar bear. If approved, the groups say the ban would have kept at least 3,000 polar bears out of commercial trade over the next decade at a time when the species is increasingly threatened by loss of habitat due to global climate change.
"We are deeply disappointed that the CITES Parties did not supported this vital proposal," said Dr. Teresa Telecky, director of wildlife for Humane Society International and executive director of the Species Survival Network.
"A ban on the commercial trade in polar bear parts and products, such as bear skin rugs, would have helped to reduce pressures on populations already threatened by habitat loss through climate change," she said. "Today's decision may put the last nail in the coffin for the polar bear."
The conservation groups say climate change is destroying the polar bear's sea ice habitat at such a rate that its population is predicted to decline by two-thirds by 2050. Polar bears cannot survive without sea ice, from which they hunt seals, their main prey.
In Canada alone 689 polar bears are legally killed each year. The parts and products of an average of 300 of these polar bears are exported annually.
Greenland also exported polar bear parts and products for commercial purposes until 2008 when a temporary moratorium on exports was established. Despite the moratorium, Greenland continues to permit hunting of 130 polar bears per year, which may enter international trade in the future. The other range states, the United States, Norway and the Russian Federation, prohibit the international commercial trade in polar bear parts and products.
The European Union is the largest importer of polar bear parts, importing 65 percent of those traded for commercial purposes over the last 10 years; this includes 775 skins and 1,279 skin pieces.
The EU has recognized the impact of commercial trade by banning imports of polar bear specimens from two populations in Canada because the authorities could not demonstrate that take levels were sustainable. It so far has failed to stop imports from five other declining Canadian populations, the conservation groups say.
Two slightly different proposals, by Monaco and by the European Union, to ban commercial trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna so the depleted species can recover were turned down by CITES delegates.
The vote followed several days of aggressive lobbying from the Japanese, who take close to 80 percent of the catch Atlantic Bluefin for consumption as sushi.
The European Commission, which had united all 27 EU member states behind the ban proposal, expressed disappointment.
Calling the proposal "a strong commitment towards a sustainable future for the bluefin tuna and for fishermen," EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik and Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki said, "We remain convinced that stringent measures are needed to ensure the recovery of Atlantic bluefin tuna."
"If action is not taken, there is a very serious danger that the bluefin tuna will no longer exist," the commissioners said.
"After overwhelming scientific justification and growing political support in past months - with backing from the majority of catch quota holders on both sides of the Atlantic - it is scandalous that governments did not even get the chance to engage in meaningful debate about the international trade ban proposal for Atlantic bluefin tuna," said Dr. Sergi Tudela, head of fisheries at WWF Mediterranean and an observer at the CITES conference.
Speaking from Halifax, Greenpeace Canada oceans campaigner Sarah King said, "Today is a day of mourning. Earlier today, Greenpeace activists formed a funeral procession at a Sobeys supermarket to mourn the loss of the Atlantic cod, an iconic species on the east coast."
"Almost at the same moment, governments around the world doomed Atlantic bluefin tuna to a similar fate when they turned down proposals to protect the seriously endangered species," said King.
The northwest Atlantic cod was regarded as heavily overfished throughout its range, resulting in a crash in the fishery in the United States and Canada during the early 1990s. The cod have failed to recover even with the cessation of fishing.
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