Person Fined After Polar Bear Woken by Ship's Foghorn
Local officials said the person agreed to pay the fine after using a ship’s foghorn, and the bear was protected under Svalbard regulations.
- On Thursday, local officials in Norway's Svalbard archipelago fined an individual for using a ship's foghorn to wake a sleeping polar bear, violating regional protection regulations.
- Regulations in the territory state "it is forbidden to needlessly disturb, attract or pursue a polar bear," as the species has been protected in Svalbard since 1972.
- Earlier this month, a vessel sailing in a northeastern Svalbard fjord spotted the animal; the governor stated, "A person on board then used the ship's foghorn, waking the animal."
- Authorities ordered the individual to pay a $5,255 fine, or 50,000 kroner, which the person agreed to pay; the individual's identity and nationality remain undisclosed.
- Researchers report that Svalbard's polar bears are thriving despite climate change. Jon Aars of the Norwegian Polar Institute said, "I was quite surprised," pointing to the species' resilience despite shrinking sea ice.
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31 Articles
Never wake a sleeping bear — or pay a hefty fine in Norway’s Svalbard region
A person in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago in the arctic has been fined 50,000 kroner (US$5,258) for using a foghorn to wake a sleeping polar bear, local officials said yesterday. The incident took place earlier this month when a vessel was sailing in a fjord in northeastern Svalbard, about 1,000km f
An indelicate received a large fine in Svalbard, Arctic, for a rare motive.
One person fined €4550 ($7316 CAD) in Svalbard, Arctic
The governor of Spitsbergen himself reported on what happened.
One person was fined 4,550 euros in the Arctic for waking up a sleeping polar bear, in violation of local regulations. The person was on board a ship and operated a fog horn. - "No unnecessary disturbance": a salt fine for an indelicate who disturbed the sleep of a polar bear (International).
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