WWF under fire over 'lobbying' for polar bear fur trade

Wildlife TV presenter and conservationist Chris Packham has taken to social media to express his outrage over the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) continuous lobbying for the trade in polar bear fur, whilst at the same time, the charity uses imagery of the very same animals for its fundraising:

A two-year investigation has found that @WWF are lobbying for the continued international trade of polar bear fur , all while using imagery of these beautiful animals for their fundraising . Despicable .

“At the Convention of the International Trade in Endangered Species… pic.twitter.com/OjC9POQyuy

— Chris Packham (@ChrisGPackham) February 15, 2025

WWF lobbying for the trade in polar bear fur

Chris Packham is right to be furious. As first reported by the Guardian, WWF currently backs policies which exploit a number of endangered species for economic reasons, such as trophy hunting. The investigation found that:

WWF has helped facilitate the international commercial trade in polar bear furs as part of its support for the policy of sustainable utilisation.

Specifically:

WWF lobbied against granting full protection to polar bears in 2010 and 2013 at Cites meetings when the US, supported by Russia, proposed a ban on the international commercial trade of polar bear skins.

Both times WWF recommended that parties should not vote for a full ban, arguing that polar bears had not yet met the criteria for this.

So much for an organisation there to protect wildlife:

Absolutely disgusting! Their organisation is supposed to be about protecting animals and conservation. The polar bear is already under serious threat but the WWF thinks it’s acceptable to continue to allow the trade of their skins. Total hypocrisy if you ask me. https://t.co/8RA8NTkgLd

— Linda Floyd (@LindaF06864354) February 17, 2025

At the same time, WWF routinely offers polar bear adoptions in its promotions:

Just another massive NGO that will take your money, pay its CEOs disgusting salaries and lobby for continued trade of polar bear furs. I’m not shocked. Never hand òver your hard earned cash to huge charities or NGOs. They lie to you. https://t.co/V9fFlZ337K

— Surf Lady Dude (@SurfLadyDude1) February 15, 2025

I’ll never support WWF again. If they’re supporting the trade in polar bear fur, what heinous acts on other wildlife are they supporting?

Disgusting.

Imho https://t.co/3g9KCl0E5S

— Helen T (@HelenTBrams) February 16, 2025

This is not WWF’s first rodeo with sketchy goings-on:

The @WWF supports hunting and has for years, calling it “sustainable” and exploiting indigenous rights. Please don’t support. Support anti hunting wildlife orgs instead. #banhunting https://t.co/mBfddYULJG

— Una Rose Ⓥ (@unarose7) February 15, 2025

According to Real Media:

For decades the charity has been accused of backing or at least turning a blind eye to human rights abuses, including rape, torture and murder carried out by “conservation rangers” across several African and Asian countries.

Back in 2019, Buzzfeed News revealed that the WWF had funded anti-poaching guards who killed and tortured people in wildlife parks across both Asia and Africa. WWF staff also tried to make the crimes disappear, and then WWF Nepal continued as if nothing had happened.

According to Buzzfeed News:

It was part of a pattern that persists to this day. In national parks across Asia and Africa, the beloved nonprofit with the cuddly panda logo funds, equips, and works directly with paramilitary forces that have been accused of beating, torturing, sexually assaulting, and murdering scores of people. As recently as 2017, forest rangers at a WWF-funded park in Cameroon tortured an 11-year-old boy in front of his parents, the family told BuzzFeed News.

Trophy hunting

WWF has previously stated:

Trophy hunting—where it is based on a clear scientific understanding of species population dynamics and is properly managed—has been proven to be an effective conservation tool in some countries and for certain species, including threatened species.

Some claim that a few animals, which are often endangered – are sacrificed for the greater good of species survival and biodiversity. They also claim that communities benefit financially from protecting animal populations and get the rewards of employment from hunting operations. Similarly, the tourism and sales that go alongside them.

However, some people dispute this:

Shocking @guardian report on the @WWF supporting #wildlifehunting & #furtrade. It’s claimed this helps indigenous communities but an Alaskan quoted says they do not support killing polar bears, etc., for a living. So, who’s benefiting?https://t.co/puHm1dqRHf

— Dr Srijana Mitra Das (@srijanapiya17) February 16, 2025

As the Canary previously reported, a report from Tanzania showed that less than 3% of the revenue from trophy hunting went to community development. Most of the time, it ended up in the hands of tourism or hunting operators, airlines and governments.

Additionally, a 2016 report by the US government’s Natural Resources Committee found that:

African trophy hunting fails to show consistent conservation benefits.

Previously, conservation leaders linked to the WWF have been known for trophy hunting. This includes Juan Carlos, former King of Spain and ex-president of WWF Spain. Additionally, Prince Philip who was also the ex-president of WWF International was well known for trophy hunting. He shot a tiger, crocodiles, wild boar, stags and a number of smaller animals:

Doesn’t surprise me. I have never supported them mainly for their claim Philip Windsor was a ‘conservationist’ – this was a bloke who hunted and killed tigers amongst other creatures.
The fur trade is a vile industry which I as an ethical vegan strongly oppose. https://t.co/ROhlb5XWCf

— woo100 /Woo100@bsky.social (@Woo100) February 15, 2025

WWF predictably pushed back on X against the claims over polar bears – but not many people were buying it:

This article doesn't reflect our position fairly. We oppose all unsustainable & illegal hunting, but it's a complex issue. We recognise the rights of local & Indigenous peoples and the role of animals in their cultures, and work with them to ensure this happens sustainably.

— WWF UK (@wwf_uk) February 15, 2025

WWF: we see you – and so does Chris Packham

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists polar bears as vulnerable due to declining numbers in the wild.

Loss of Artic sea ice has a direct impact on Polar Bears. A 2020 study found that groups of polar bears are struggling to complete simple yet essential tasks because of declining concentrations of sea ice.

The Artic ice cap is a large area of frozen seawater which floats on top of the ocean. It is crucial for polar bears to travel long distances. Additionally, they use gaps in the ice to hunt for seals.

Since 1979, concentrations of sea ice have decreased by 13% every ten years. The climate crisis is causing artic regions to increase in temperature at twice the rate of the rest of the world.

Clearly, WWF should be doing everything in its power to protect an already vulnerable species. However, that would actually require the colonial conservation organisation to actually give a damn about endangered animals and Indigenous communities, rather than acting in the interests of the trophy hunting elites. Nothing in this latest explosive investigation and its legacy littered in wildlife and human rights harm, suggest that’s going to be the case.

Feature image via the Canary