Norway fines man thousands of dollars for disturbing sleeping polar bear with ship's foghorn

A person in Norway's Svalbard archipelago has been fined 50,000 kroner (around $5,300) for deliberately disturbing a polar bear by sounding a foghorn that woke the sleeping animal, according to a statement from the governor of Svalbard.

The incident took place earlier in August after someone aboard a vessel sailing through a fjord in northern Svalbard used the booming, low-pitched horn, which is generally intended for maritime warnings. The governor determined that the action was intentional and amounted to disturbing the polar bear.

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Svalbard rules prohibit disturbing polar bears

Environmental protection regulations in Svalbard prohibit people from "unnecessarily disturb, lure or pursue polar bears." The species has been protected under international law since 1973.

The rules also set minimum distances that people must maintain from polar bears. From July through February, approaching within 300 metres (984 feet) is prohibited. The restricted distance increases to 500 metres (1,640 feet) between March and June, when polar bears are typically in their mating season.

Hunting polar bears has been illegal in Svalbard since the animals were given protected status.

Around 300 polar bears remain in Svalbard year-round

An estimated 3,000 polar bears inhabit the Svalbard and Barents Sea region, a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean located between Norwegian and Russian territorial waters.

Many polar bears are known to migrate to Franz Josef Land, a remote archipelago in Russia's northernmost territory. The number of bears in Svalbard changes throughout the year, but around 300 remain in the archipelago year-round.

Polar bears that stay in Svalbard during the summer do so despite a significant decline in sea ice, where they typically hunt fat-rich seals, their primary food source.

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Previous fines for disturbing wildlife

Authorities in Svalbard have previously imposed fines over incidents involving the disturbance of animals.

In 2024, a tourist was fined 12,500 kroner (around $1,300) after attempting to approach a walrus. Members of the public alerted officials, after which the man was intercepted by employees of the governor.