On Spitsbergen, a cruise passenger was fined $5300 for disturbing a polar bear.
Warning sign in Spitsbergen
A sea voyage near Spitsbergen ended with a substantial fine for one of the passengers. The man decided to draw the attention of a polar bear, thereby violating Norway’s strict nature protection laws.
This was reported by CNN.
The incident occurred during a sea excursion in the north of Spitsbergen. Passengers noticed a sleeping polar bear on the shore, and one of them decided to sound the loud ship’s horn.
“Then a person on board used the ship’s foghorn, waking the animal, which then moved elsewhere,” stated Governor Lars Fause.
Law enforcement officials deemed these actions intentional and disruptive to the predator’s peace. The offender was issued a fine of 50,000 Norwegian kroner (approximately $5,300), which he agreed to pay.
On Spitsbergen, it is strictly forbidden to disturb, lure, or pursue polar bears; hunting them has been completely prohibited since 1973. According to regulations, animals must not be approached closer than 300 meters from July to February, and during the mating season (March to June), this distance increases to 500 meters.
Experts estimate that around 3,000 polar bears inhabit the Spitsbergen and Barents Sea region, with approximately 300 of them residing on the archipelago permanently. During the summer months, due to the reduction in ice cover, the animals lose the ability to hunt seals effectively, forcing them to conserve energy.
Jeff York, Vice President for Research and Policy at Polar Bears International, explained the importance of peace for these predators during this period.
“Bears resting in the ice-free summer season, with fewer readily available high-fat calorie sources, often choose to simply wait out periods of depletion with long periods of sleep and very little movement, provided they are in good physical condition: which for a bear means it’s quite plump,” noted Jeff York.
The expert emphasized that any artificial creation of stressful situations by humans can have negative consequences for the conservation of the population.
“Disturbing bears at this time of year can be more significant for their survival or potential reproductive success, especially if it’s a pregnant or nursing female, as it forces them to burn calories unnecessarily,” warned the specialist.
This is not the first such incident on Spitsbergen. For example, in 2024, a tourist was fined 12,500 kroner (about $1,300) for attempting to approach a walrus. Eyewitnesses reported the offender to the local authorities at the time, and the man was quickly apprehended.
Recall that a resident of Colorado, USA, merely wanted to give her cat the freedom to enter and exit the house. However, instead of her pet, a bear unexpectedly visited the residence and feasted on the cat food.
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