A treaty inked in 2000 between Russia and the United States to protect polar bears in their respective nations has just come into effect, the Russian foreign affairs ministry said Monday.
This accord "defines the conditions of cooperation between Russia and the United States to protect the polar bear population" in Chukotka, Russia's extreme northeastern territory, and Alaska, the northernmost US state.
The agreement regulates hunting in a manner "that guarantees the vital needs of the indigenous peoples," it added.
Polar bears are one of the species at risk due to global warming, according to a report published in April by an inter-governmental group of experts.
The World Wildlife Fund has been working since 2003 on a project to protect Russian polar bears.
