This website provides information about polar bears, with focus on commercial hunting, trophy hunting, and trade. There is very little accessible material on these topics online. Our aim is to offer up-to-date, reliable information with references, so you can examine the issues for yourself. This site is not intended to cover every aspect of polar bear biology, nor to repeat the widely available messaging on climate change and sea-ice loss. Instead, it concentrates on hunting- and trade-related matters that are often overlooked in public discussions.
The initiative builds on the research and publication of the book Polar Bears & Humans by Ole J. Liodden (2019). Since then, new statistics and management changes have emerged. Publishing updates on a website is more practical than publishing a new edition of the book every two to three years.
The documentary film Trade Secret has helped raise awareness of commercial hunting and trade in polar bears. To help answering some people have after watching the film, it is a clear need for a web resource with information, statistics, and materials for those who wish to learn more.
Compiling, preparing, and publishing well-sourced information on the less visible aspects of polar bear hunting, trade, and management is challenging and time‑consuming. Most of this work is undertaken by Ole J. Liodden, and there are no commercial motivations behind this site. If you would like to get involved with the Polar Bears & Humans project, please get in touch.