The conference "Universe of the Polar Bear: Effective Cooperation in the Arctic" brought together about 850 participants.
On March 21, the VIII International Scientific and Practical Conference "Universe of the Polar Bear: Effective Cooperation in the Arctic" concluded. The event was held in three cities - Moscow, St. Petersburg and Anadyr - and gathered about 850 participants from 12 countries: Russia, Belarus, Brazil, Egypt, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Singapore, the Czech Republic and Uzbekistan.
During the four-day business program, more than 200 reports were presented on a wide range of topics related to the study, conservation and sustainable development of the Arctic.
"The Arctic is a strategically important region for the whole world. Climate change, melting ice, biodiversity conservation - all these and many other issues are important for the future of humanity," said Yury Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.
"The increased interest in the Arctic is associated with the active development of this strategically important region for our country, the development of the Northern Sea Route, and global climate change. The polar bear is at the center of discussions. Being the largest land predator on the planet, it is also one of the most vulnerable," emphasized Alexander Kozlov, Minister of Natural Resources of Russia, in his welcoming speech to the conference participants.
"It is necessary to preserve the Arctic as a territory of peace, stability and mutually beneficial cooperation. The most important priority remains ensuring a balance between human economic activity and environmental conservation," stressed Svetlana Rodionova, Head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resource Usage, in her welcoming speech delivered by Amirhan Amirkhanov, Advisor to the Head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resource Usage.
According to Svetlana Akulova, Director General of the Moscow Zoo, since 2018, a human-polar bear conflict prevention group has been operating in the Arctic, which has proven its effectiveness. All conflict animals are successfully returned to their natural habitat without harm to people.
Several sessions at the conference were dedicated to the polar bear: "Polar Bear and Marine Mammals", "Activities of Arctic Protected Areas", "Biodiversity Monitoring", "Bear Patrol" and others. During the discussions, experts shared the most relevant research results on the predator. For example, as part of the study of the Kara subpopulation of polar bears, satellite tagging of 7 polar bears was performed in the summer of 2024, with two males being tagged with ear tags instead of collars for the first time in Russia. Data from these devices are important for assessing the status of the Kara subpopulation of polar bears, which is currently the least studied in the Russian Federation.
On the final day, a session "Zoos, Aquariums and Oceanariums: Role and Participation in Arctic Ecosystem Research" was held, discussing the participation of these institutions in polar bear conservation.
