An unnamed person has been fined 50,000 Norwegian kroner for using a ship's foghorn to wake a sleeping polar bear. This has been confirmed by local officials following an incident earlier in the month, which saw the animal be disturbed from its slumber, and then have to move elsewhere.
According to local governor Lars Fause, aboard a vessel sailing in a fjord in north-western Svalbard, occupants spotted the polar bear sleeping on land. The unnamed person then "used the ship's foghorn, waking the animal, which moved to another location." A fine of 50,000 kroner (about £3900) was incurred on the individual, as in Svalbard it is forbidden to "needlessly disturb, attract or pursue a polar bear," as they are a protected species.
The individual in question has agreed to pay the fine. This isn't the first time that someone has had to pay a fine for disturbing an animal in Svalbard, as a tourist was charged 11,500 kroner for getting too close to a walrus back in 2024 (via BBC News). Under the Svalbard Environment Act, all traffic must take place in a way that does not lead to unnecessary disturbance of animal life on the archipelago.
