A Polish tourist visiting the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard has been fined more than $1,100 for getting too close to a walrus, while Norwegian law prohibits disturbing wildlife, reports BBC.
walrus resting on the ice in Svalbard, NorwayPhoto: Sergio Pitamitz / VWPics / Universal images group / Profimedia
People alerted local authorities when they saw a man climb onto a sheet of ice to approach the animal.
Svalbard’s environmental law states that all traffic on the archipelago must be conducted in a way that does not lead to unnecessary disturbance of the local wildlife – which includes polar bears, seals, whales, reindeer and arctic foxes.
The governor encouraged everyone to keep a good distance from the walruses so as not to disturb them and avoid danger to humans.
Prosecutor Magnus Rindal Fredriksen told the BBC that parts of the incident were observed by several of the governor’s employees.
The incident happened “very close to Longyearbyen, at the bottom of the fjord,” Rindal Fredriksen said, adding that the tourist, who is a Polish citizen who arrived in the area that day, went to the governor’s office and paid the fine.
Why did he do it? He wanted a good picture, the prosecutor thinks.
Svalbard walruses have been protected animals since 1952, when there were only a few hundred individuals left after more than three centuries of commercial exploitation.
The walrus population has increased since the measures were implemented, but the species remains on Norway’s National Red List.
Due to concerns about the impact of tourism and climate change, the Norwegian government has announced tougher regulations that will come into effect next year, including a ban on getting within 150 meters of a walrus.
