A roundtable discussion on ways to preserve the fragile Arctic environment was held at the Lecture Centre of the Russian Geographical Society in Moscow on 19 November. The Arctic coastal ecosystem has been recently exposed to environmental threats resulting from global warming and threats due to human activity, such as mineral exploration and development, reopening the Northern Sea Route, and ecotourism.

A report on the status of the polar bear in the Russian Arctic area was presented by Andrei Boltunov, Vice President of the Marine Mammal Council; Nikita Ovsyanikov (PhD in Biology), leading researcher of the Wrangel Island Reserve and member of the Polar Bear Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); and Stanislav Belikov (PhD in Biology), researcher at the Laboratory of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems of the Russian Research Institute for Nature Conservation (VNIIPrirody), member of the IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group, and co-chair of the American-Russian Scientific Working Group on polar bears. Participants in the debates held after the presentation agreed that all Arctic projects must be fully transparent and that all risks of Arctic projects must be thoroughly examined, including such environmental projects as the Arctic cleanup supported by the Russian Geographical Society. It should be remembered that any human impact on the fragile Arctic environment has lasting negative consequences and is a major source of anxiety for the Arctic animals.

The discussion was attended by experts on the conservation of the Arctic Ocean and coastal wildlife, Arctic fishing, the impact of human activities on the Arctic environment, the consequences of mining and transport activities in the Arctic, and ecotourism.