Hunters, who will not be allowed to hunt polar bear cubs or their mothers, can get up to 2,685 euros ($3,250) for the pelt of a polar bear.
Meanwhile, plans to introduce polar bear safaris for tourists, where they would accompany an authorized hunter to kill a limited number of bears, will be postponed until 2007 at the earliest.
Such a hunt "would involve only a few bears", Heinrich stressed, adding that the delay was due to the fact that "the hunters have to be trained to be guides to ensure the tourists' security and wellbeing and resolve logistical issues."
Some 25,000 of the hulking white animals roam the Arctic, mostly in Canada and Greenland.
The new quota is aimed at "protecting these animals threatened by global warming in the Arctic which is causing the ice, which is their hunting ground, to melt and making it increasingly difficult for them to find food," Heinrich said.
The bears roam large expanses of ice to hunt their prey, breaking through the ice with their massive paws to catch seals and fish.
According to an Arctic Climate Impact Assessment report presented in Iceland in 2004, the Arctic ice has shrunk by about eight percent in the past 30 years.
The report showed that the region has heated up twice as fast as the rest of the world in the past decade, and warned that within 100 years the Arctic ice could melt completely during the summer, threatening many species and the lifestyle of the indigenous Inuit population.
Due to rising temperatures, the ice recedes earlier in the season every year. Polar bears can either remain on land where they risk dying of starvation, or swim increasing distances to reach the ice to hunt for food.
Name: Polar Bear (
Ursus maritimus)
Primary Classification: Ursidae (Bears)
Location: Arctic region surrounding the North Pole.
Habitat: Glacier ice and tundra.
Diet: Seals mostly. Also walrus, sea birds, lemmings, birds' eggs, some vegetation, and carrion.
Size: Up to 11 ft in length and 1,500 lbs in weight.
Description: Dense creamy white coat made of hollow translucent hairs; black skin; powerful build; long neck and head.
Cool Facts: It is the world's largest land predator. It has been known to swim more than 60 miles without rest. Studies show that they are as intelligent as apes.
Conservation Status: Lower Risk (Conservation Dependent)
Major Threat(s): Habitat Loss
What Can I Do?: Visit
Polar Bears Alive for information on how you can help.
