Norway fines man 50,000 kroner for waking sleeping polar bear in Svalbard

Norwegian authorities have fined a man 50,000 Norwegian kroner for waking a sleeping polar bear on the Svalbard archipelago by sounding a ship's foghorn. The incident occurred earlier this month when passengers on a ship spotted a polar bear resting on land; one person used the vessel's horn, and the noise caused the animal to wake and move to another location. The governor of Svalbard said the horn had deliberately disturbed the bear and noted that local environmental protection rules prohibit unnecessarily disturbing, attracting or chasing polar bears. Officials maintain minimum approach distances of 300 meters from polar bears between July and February, and 500 meters between March and June. A researcher at an environmental organization said that during summer months, polar bears lose energy when disturbed, as melting sea ice reduces their food sources. The researcher added that such disturbances can affect the survival and reproductive chances of pregnant or nursing females in particular. The Svalbard and Barents Sea region is home to an estimated 3,000 polar bears, with about 300 remaining on the archipelago year-round. Authorities described the case as Norway's most recent wildlife disturbance penalty in the region. Last year, a tourist was fined 12,500 kroner for attempting to approach a walrus.