Last Friday, on International Polar Bear Day, Trade Secret had its Arctic premiere in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Two screenings drew over 400 viewers, almost 20 % of the town’s adult population, underscoring how closely the community is connected to the fate of polar bears. The film has already been screened internationally, but this marked the first time it was shown in the Arctic itself.
Filmed over six years of investigation, Trade Secret asks a central question: how can a species widely perceived as threatened still be part of a legal international trade? The documentary explores the regulatory framework that governs the polar bear fur market, focusing on the debates within CITES, the global convention that regulates wildlife trade, where repeated attempts to ban commercial exchange have failed.
Despite widespread belief that polar bears are fully protected, this is not the case. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, polar bears are classified as Vulnerable, with a global population estimated at between 22,000 and 31,000 individuals. These figures mask significant regional differences, and the species continues to face pressures from habitat loss, climate change, and ongoing commercial trade.
Each year, 500–700 polar bears, roughly 2–3 % of the global population, are legally harvested across their range, mainly in Canada, Greenland, and Russia, under national quotas and international agreements. One challenge is that trophy hunting often targets the largest and strongest individuals, which can skew population structure and affect the long-term health of the species.
A central part of the story is the polar bears’ listing under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). They are currently in Appendix II, meaning international trade is allowed but regulated. In contrast, Appendix I provides the highest level of protection: it bans all commercial trade, permits only very limited movement for scientific or conservation purposes, and still allows indigenous communities to carry out traditional subsistence hunting.
Efforts to move polar bears to Appendix I have gained increasing international attention. Following the European Parliament’s October 2025 resolution calling for stronger protection measures, the upcoming CITES Conference of the Parties (COP) in Panama in 2028 presents a fresh opportunity for countries to formally propose an Appendix I listing and secure the species’ highest level of protection.
Trade Secret highlights the stakes: the ongoing trade in polar bear skins, population pressures across their entire range, and the complexities of international rules that still allow commercial exchange. Through its growing international screenings, the film seeks to raise public awareness, inspire action, and galvanize support to ensure that polar bears are placed on CITES Appendix I at the next Conference of the Parties, securing them the highest level of protection.
Lisa Scherk, PolarJournal