A limit on the hunting of polar bears by sportsmen and native Arctic people will top the agenda at an international summit in Norway tomorrow, seen as vital to the survival of the predator. In Norway, stalking is banned. Native and sport polar bear hunters may be facing more restrictions due to increasing threats to bear populations. MORE

The United States is losing its historic leadership position in international nature conservation, as countries like Germany, Norway, Britain and others have made financial pledges that begin to dwarf United States yearly financing rates to address deforestation and species conservation. To the Editor: “ Watching the Numbers and Charting the Losses—of Species ,” by Verlyn Klinkenborg (Editorial Observer, Oct. MORE

A resolution at the end of a three-year campaign, triggered by a public outcry at the annual seal culls in Canada and Norway, condemned the slaughter of seals as "inherently inhumane". That's good news. From the press release: Euro-MPs have voted overwhelmingly for a total ban on the trade in seal products across Europe. MORE

OK, I don't think Norway even has troops in Iraq. Nils Olav, a king penguin on the Norwegian King's Guard , was bestowed a knighthood for simultaneously defusing an IED while taking out a machine gun in Iraq. I kid. The IED was already defused. MORE

Fothergill: For me, it has to be Svalbard, which is an archipelago of islands between Greenland and northern Norway. Disneynature’s first film, Earth , which comes out on Earth Day (April 22,2009), follows three animal families across the globe. MORE

EU nations agree to ban on seal products * Ban would lead to trade clash with Norway and Canada * Final approvals seen as a formality. Tags: canada norway europe trade seals Hooray! Thanks to Animal Rights Person for the heads up on this. As of last Friday. * MORE

Tags: norway iceland whales Japan whaling endangered species MORE

Canada, Russia, the US, Denmark [via Greenland] and Norway want a piece of it. Tags: canada norway national security us russia arctic WONK ALERT! The Arctic, and foreign claims to it, are discussed in this dense piece by globalsecurity.org. It will probably make your head spin. Suffice to say that untapped oil reserves are at stake. AND the Arctic is getting even more accessible due to global warming (knew it would be good for something!) MORE

The plan can mean not only reversing the current ban on whale hunting by Norway, Iceland, and Japan for the next ten years, but will allow whaling in the internationally recognized whale sanctuary around Antarctica. We recently got an email about the dangers currently being faced by our whale population as a result of a recent proposal to legalize commercial whaling. MORE

What about Norway and Iceland? Tags: norway iceland whale Japan whaling This sucks. MORE