Polar Bears Protest at Launch of Canada's $2 Coin

[the.greenbase@green2.greenpeace.org]

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Original-TO:      World Press (Green2:Green2:Gnl:INET)
Original-Cc:      The Greenbase (Green2:Green2:Gnl:Main)
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                   GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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POLAR BEARS PROTEST AT LAUNCH OF CANADA'S TWO DOLLAR COIN
Enviros say the polar bear will go extinct under new proposed
Endangered Species Legislation
 
(MONTREAL) Monday, 19 February, 1996 - Today representatives
of Canada's endangered species - the polar bear - showed up at
Ben's Deli where Federal Minister Diane Marleau was launching
Canada's new $2-dollar coin, featuring a polar bear as a

national symbol of Canadian wildlife. The polar bears told the
Minister of Public Works and Government Services that they
were there to protest the Federal Government's proposed
Endangered Species legislation that fails to protect them or
any other of Canada's endangered species.  
"Unless the Federal government protects our habitat, the polar
bear in your pocket will outlive us polar bears in the wild,"
said one of the bears.
 
Habitat destruction is responsible for 80% of species decline
in Canada. The bears pointed out that 50% of the world's
population of polar bears live in Canada, in Quebec, Ontario,
Manitoba, the Yukon and Northwest Territories, with one of the
three largest denning areas in the world located near
Churchill, Manitoba.
 
While the polar bears protested inside Ben's Deli, their human
supporters voiced concerns outside. The proposed legislation
does not apply to 96% of the land base; does not prohibit
habitat loss, the leading cause of extinction; does not
prohibit hunting or killing of endangered species; and does
not require any action short of listing which species are
threatened.
 
Greenpeace and numerous other environmental organisations have
stongly condemned the proposed legislation and have called for
it to be rewritten to include: (a) protection of all
endangered species and their critical habitat, (b) preparation
and
implementation of a recovery plan for all endangered and
threatened species, (c) a ban on killing or harming an
endangered species, (d) advance review of projects that could
affect an endangered species or its habitat and (e) extremely
stiff penalties for contravention of the Act.
 
"The message from the Government is clear: so long as you
don't walk, swim or fly and so long as you live on a Federal
building in Ottawa or on an army base, you're in the clear,"
said Karen Mahon of Greenpeace. 
 
"It is completely unacceptable. Putting the polar bear on this
coin is a cynical effort to exploit Canada's wildlife while
doing nothing to protect it."
 
According to an Angus Reid poll, 94% of Canadians support a
strong Endangered Species Act.
 
Just this week a "Fax the Feds" campaign got underway on the
InterNet, at the address of http://www.web.apc.org/save-
species and, in addition, e-mail messages are now being sent
to:
save-species@web.apc.org
                                    - 30 -
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Karen Mahon,     (514) 933-0021 or 949-0384 (cell.)
Johanne Fillion  (514) 933-0021 or 949-0384 (cell.)

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