Boat operator fined for waking polar bear with foghorn
What's the story
A boat operator has been fined 50,000 Norwegian kroner (around ₹4.5-5 lakh) for waking a sleeping polar bear with a ship's foghorn. The incident occurred earlier this month near Svalbard, a remote Norwegian archipelago about 998km from the North Pole. While sailing through a local fjord, the individuals aboard the vessel saw a polar bear sleeping on the shore, and a person on the vessel decided to wake it up using the loud foghorn.
Legal consequences
Polar bear fled the area after being startled
The loud blast of the foghorn startled the polar bear, which then fled the area. The incident was reported to local authorities and Lars Fause, Governor of Svalbard, took immediate legal action.
"Its occupants are said to have spotted a polar bear sleeping on land," Fause said in a statement. He added that "a person on board then used the ship's foghorn, waking the animal, which moved to another location."
Wildlife protection
Polar bears are protected under law
The Svalbard Environmental Protection Act prohibits unnecessary disturbance, pursuit, or attraction of polar bears.
The law requires visitors to maintain a safe distance from wildlife to prevent stress or changes in their natural behavior.
The offender admitted to the violation and agreed to pay the fine.
Local officials did not disclose the person's identity or nationality but reminded all tourists and expedition crews that polar bears have been a protected species in Svalbard since 1972.