Group asks Canada to halt sale of Arctic gas and oil rights

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2008

OTTAWA (AFP) — The World Wildlife Fund on Tuesday urged Canada to postpone the sale of oil and gas rights in the Beaufort Sea, worried the drilling areas would overlap with key Arctic habitat for polar bears and whales.

"This sale is premature due to the absence of a completed Beaufort Sea management plan that would protect sensitive habitats, which polar bears, beluga and bowhead whales need for their survival," Peter Ewins, director of species conservation at WWF-Canada, said in a statement.

"In addition, there is no proven technique for recovering oil spills in such dangerous iced waters."

As such, the proposed June 2 sale must be delayed until a proper management plan for the Arctic region is in place, the group said.

Alternately, an expedited...