Man Fined Over Rs 4 Lakh For Waking Sleeping Polar Bear With Ship Horn

A boat operator was slapped with a fine of 50,000 Norwegian kroner (approximately Rs 4.5 to Rs 5 lakh) for waking up a sleeping polar bear using a vessel's foghorn, the BBC reported. The incident took place earlier this month off the coast of Svalbard, which is a remote Norwegian archipelago located around 620 miles from the North Pole. 

While sailing through a local fjord, individuals aboard the ship spotted a polar bear resting on the shore. Wanting to see the animal move, a person on the vessel deliberately sounded the ship's loud foghorn. The blast startled the bear, causing it to wake up abruptly and flee the area.

Following the incident, local authorities were notified, and Lars Fause, the Governor of Svalbard, took immediate legal action. 

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In a statement, Fause said that when the vessel sailed past the animal "its occupants are said to have spotted a polar bear sleeping on land. A person on board then used the ship's foghorn, waking the animal, which moved to another location," it added.

Under the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act, it is strictly illegal to needlessly disturb, pursue, or attract polar bears. 

The regulations mandate that visitors keep a safe distance from wildlife to avoid causing stress or altering their natural behaviour in their harsh habitat.

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The offender accepted the violation and agreed to pay the hefty fine. 

Local officials didn't reveal the individual's name and nationality, but issued a reminder to all tourists and expedition crews visiting the region: polar bears have been a protected species in Svalbard since 1972, and disturbing them carries severe financial consequences.

This is not an isolated incident, as a tourist was fined 11,500 kroner (£900) in 2024 for getting too close to a walrus.