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Man fined heavily for waking polar bear with foghorn
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ด Romania /Crime & Justice

Man fined heavily for waking polar bear with foghorn

From Adevฤƒrul · () Romanian

Translated from Romanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • A passenger on a ship in Svalbard was fined approximately 4,500 euros for waking a polar bear with a foghorn.
  • The incident violated local regulations prohibiting the disturbance of polar bears.
  • This is not the first time individuals have been fined for disturbing wildlife in Svalbard.

A tourist on a ship navigating a Svalbard fjord received a hefty fine of approximately 4,500 euros (50,000 Norwegian kroner) for using a foghorn to wake a sleeping polar bear on the shore. The incident occurred earlier this month, about 1,000 kilometers from the North Pole.

it is forbidden to unnecessarily disturb, attract or pursue a polar bear.

โ€” Local RegulationsExplaining the legal prohibition against disturbing polar bears in Svalbard.

According to the Governor of Svalbard, the individual disturbed the polar bear, which is a protected species in the archipelago since 1972. Local regulations strictly forbid "unnecessarily disturbing, attracting, or pursuing a polar bear." The law mandates that all activities in Svalbard must be conducted in a manner that avoids unnecessary disruption to the local wildlife, which includes polar bears, seals, whales, reindeer, and Arctic foxes.

The governor, Lars Fause, stated that the ship's occupants observed the polar bear sleeping on land. One person then activated the ship's foghorns, causing the animal to move. Despite the action, the individual agreed to pay the fine. This incident follows a similar case in 2024 where a tourist was fined over 1,000 euros for approaching a walrus too closely.

they say that the occupants of the ship noticed a polar bear sleeping on land.

โ€” Lars FauseDescribing the initial observation of the polar bear before the incident.

Svalbard's wildlife is highly protected, with an estimated 250 polar bears counted in the archipelago during the last scientific assessment in 2015. The hefty fine serves as a strong deterrent against actions that could harm or unduly stress the region's vulnerable animal populations.

One person on board then used the ship's foghorns, waking the animal, which moved to another location.

โ€” Lars FauseDetailing the action that led to the fine.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Adevฤƒrul in Romanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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