Polar Bears and Iceland : an overview, history and proposed response plan

Polar bears are not native to Iceland but occasionally reach Iceland's shores. This is not a new phenomenon and occurred even prior to human settlement. Until recently all such incidents resulted in the destruction of the bear. However, recent media attention has stimulated debate on whether th...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Stubbing, Alexander
Other Authors: Háskólinn á Akureyri
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2011
Subjects:
Haf
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1946/9282
Description
Summary:Polar bears are not native to Iceland but occasionally reach Iceland's shores. This is not a new phenomenon and occurred even prior to human settlement. Until recently all such incidents resulted in the destruction of the bear. However, recent media attention has stimulated debate on whether the rescue of some bears might be possible. This thesis gives an overview of polar bear occurrences in Iceland, analyzes relevant ocean current and sea ice movement which contribute to their arrival, and suggests a plan outlining possible response options.