Trade Secret: The Polar Bear Documentary the World Can’t Afford to Ignore
A Climate Film Festival Showstopper
On September 21, 2025, the Climate Film Festival in New York City closed its program with the international premiere of Trade Secret, a revelatory documentary six years in the making and filmed across nine countries. The evening opened with stirring remarks from legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, followed by a powerhouse panel featuring acclaimed conservation photographers Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen, co-founders of SeaLegacy, alongside director Abraham Joffe and polar bear expert Ole J. Liodden.
This world-class team set the stage for a film that uncovers a story few realize is unfolding in real time: the legal and black-market trade of one of the planet’s most beloved animals — the polar bear.
Polar Bears: Global Icons on Thin Ice
Graceful, intelligent, and hauntingly beautiful, polar bears have become a universal emblem of climate change. Images of these Arctic giants stranded on shrinking ice floes have captured hearts and headlines worldwide.
Where They Roam:
Polar bears are found across the Arctic Circle—in Canada, Greenland, Norway (Svalbard), Russia, and the United States (Alaska). Yet even as sea ice disappears beneath their paws, another, lesser-known threat looms: the international trade in polar bear parts, a commerce hidden from most of the public eye.
The Shocking Truth: Canada’s Role in a Global Market
Trade Secret exposes a disturbing reality. While every other polar bear range country bans commercial trade, Canada still allows the legal sale of polar bear skins and parts. Each year, hundreds of hides enter the global marketplace.
Despite international bans elsewhere, a thriving black market persists, fueled by collectors and luxury buyers. The film documents how this trade treats polar bears as commodities — valued more as rugs and trophies than as living, breathing beings struggling to survive a rapidly warming Arctic.
CITES: Gatekeeper or Enabler?
Central to the story is CITES — the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Established in 1975, CITES is a global treaty regulating trade in more than 38,000 animal and plant species. Member countries (called Parties) vote to place species in Appendix I (highest protection, banning most international trade) or Appendix II (regulated trade allowed).
Shockingly, polar bears remain listed in Appendix II, meaning international trade is still legal with permits. Trade Secret reveals how lobbying by influential nations and even large conservation organizations has kept polar bears from the full protection of Appendix I — a decision with life-or-death consequences.
When Conservation and Commerce Collide
The documentary doesn’t stop at polar bears. It draws unsettling parallels to the trade in other endangered species — from white rhinos to rare reptiles — showing how politics, profit, and even well-meaning conservation groups can become entangled. The result? Loopholes that allow animals on the brink of extinction to be bought and sold as luxury goods.
Why Trade Secret Matters
Six Years, Nine Countries: An extraordinary investigative journey revealing a hidden economy.
Unseen Footage: From Arctic hunting grounds to international auction houses.
Unflinching Questions: How can we claim to protect a species while sanctioning its sale?
This is more than a wildlife documentary; it’s a call to action. Trade Secret asks audiences to reconsider the thin line between protection and exploitation — and to demand stronger international safeguards for Earth’s most iconic Arctic predator.
How to Watch
Festival Circuit: Following its Climate Film Festival world premiere, Trade Secret will screen at select international festivals throughout late 2025 including Jackson Wild.
Streaming Release: A global digital release is planned later this year. Follow @tradesecretfilm and @oceanicpreservationsociety for dates and updates.
Trade Secret is a must-see exposé for anyone who loves wildlife, cares about climate change, or questions the ethics of the global wildlife trade. As the Arctic melts beneath their feet, polar bears need more than admiration—they need action.
Add this gripping documentary to your watch list, share it widely, and join the movement to end the commercial trade of polar bears once and for all.