Boat Operator Fined $5000 For Waking Sleeping Polar Bear With Ship Horn Close To North Pole

A boat operator was fined 50,000 Norwegian Kroner for waking up a sleeping polar bear by using the vessel’s foghorn.

The incident occurred off Svalbard, a remote Norwegian archipelago situated 620 miles from the North Pole. According to sources, while sailing through a fjord, individuals on the vessel saw a polar bear resting on the shore.

They wanted to see the animal move; hence, they deliberately sounded the horn, which scared the sleeping polar bear, which then ran away from the area.

When local authorities came to know of this, Lars Fause, the Governor of Svalbard, took legal action against the person involved.

Under the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act, it is illegal to disturb, chase or attract polar bears, as it could be dangerous not only for the person but also for polar bears.

According to the law, people must maintain a distance from wildlife in the region to avoid causing them stress or altering their natural behaviour in their habitat.

The individual whose name and nationality were not revealed by officials has reportedly agreed to pay the fine.

The incident serves as a reminder to tourists and expedition crew members visiting the remote region that polar bears have been a protected species in Svalbard since 1972 and disturbing them could lead to hefty fines.

This is not the only incident involving a polar bear being disturbed by an individual. Another tourist was fined 11,500 kroner for getting too close to a walrus.