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8h ago

Person Fined $5,255 for Honking Foghorn to Wake Polar Bear in Svalbard

Authorities say the penalty enforces a long-standing rule that forbids needlessly disturbing protected polar bears.

A warning sign depicts a polar bear at the side of a road in Longyearbyen on the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway, on May 2, 2022.
A polar bear on the pack ice north of Svalbard, Norway, on July 20, 2015
Polar bear with boat
Image

Overview

  • Earlier this month a person on a vessel in northeastern Svalbard used the ship's foghorn to wake a sleeping polar bear, other people on the boat later reported the action to authorities.
  • The Governor of Svalbard's office found the action intentional and on Thursday ordered the individual to pay a NOK-equivalent fine of about $5,255, which the person agreed to pay.
  • Local law, under the Svalbard Environmental Act, has forbidden needlessly disturbing, attracting or pursuing polar bears since the species was given protected status in 1972.
  • Officials handled the case administratively and have not disclosed the fined person's identity or nationality; the incident follows earlier wildlife enforcement in the region such as a 2024 walrus fine.
  • Scientists estimate a few hundred polar bears live in the archipelago and recent research through 2019 shows Svalbard bears have generally remained in good condition despite regional sea-ice loss.