Latest news with #polarBears
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
New rules could see end of close-up polar bear photos in cruise brochures
Small ship cruise lines may stop putting close-up images of polar bears in brochures because of new restrictions in Norway, according to an industry expert. Akvile Marozaite, chief executive of UK-based global representative body Expedition Cruise Network, said limits on how close ships can get to the animals means the sector must change 'how we communicate' with travellers. Polar bears are a key draw for people embarking on sailings to Norwegian-ruled archipelago Svalbard, as they can be observed in their natural Arctic habit. But concerns about interference from humans means the government has banned ships in the region from being closer than 500 metres from the animals. Ms Marozaite said the sector is partly paying the price for 'always talking about polar bears' in relation to Svalbard trips. She told the PA news agency: 'Of course they are something that people want to see, but expedition cruising to Svalbard is actually an incredible opportunity to experience a lot of other things about the destination. 'There is incredible human history, beautiful scenery, other species of wildlife.' Ms Marozaite said cruise lines are continuing to show their guests polar bears, some by sailing closer to Greenland. The impact of Norway's distance rule is 'more to do with how we communicate', she said. 'The communication around Arctic voyages is going to change. 'Companies hopefully will no longer be putting close-up images of polar bears on the brochure. 'That's a good thing, because finally we will start talking about the destination the way it should be talked about.' But expedition leader and photographer Paul Goldstein criticised the new regulations. He told The Independent's travel podcast: 'This is a classic example of what I term 'conservation fascism'. 'I have led small ship charters in the region since 2004. 'Never once have I seen a single incident where tourists intimidate or affect the behaviour of polar bears.' He added that if a camera lens 'the size of a Stinger missile' is required to see polar bears then most visitors will miss out. Norway's minister of climate and environment Andreas Bjelland Erikse previously said the rules are necessary as climate change is 'leading to more difficult conditions for polar bears on Svalbard'. He went on: 'It is important for them to be able to search for food, hunt, rest and take care of their cubs without interference from humans. 'That is why we must keep a good distance.' The minimum distance will be reduced to 300 metres from July 1. The Norwegian government said visitors to Svalbard have 'a duty to retreat to a legal distance' if they encounter a polar bear that is too close. Ships are also banned from carrying more than 200 passengers in the region.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
New rules could see end of close-up polar bear photos in cruise brochures
Small ship cruise lines may stop putting close-up images of polar bears in brochures because of new restrictions in Norway, according to an industry expert. Akvile Marozaite, chief executive of UK-based global representative body Expedition Cruise Network, said limits on how close ships can get to the animals means the sector must change 'how we communicate' with travellers. Polar bears are a key draw for people embarking on sailings to Norwegian-ruled archipelago Svalbard, as they can be observed in their natural Arctic habit. But concerns about interference from humans means the government has banned ships in the region from being closer than 500 metres from the animals. Ms Marozaite said the sector is partly paying the price for 'always talking about polar bears' in relation to Svalbard trips. She told the PA news agency: 'Of course they are something that people want to see, but expedition cruising to Svalbard is actually an incredible opportunity to experience a lot of other things about the destination. 'There is incredible human history, beautiful scenery, other species of wildlife.' Ms Marozaite said cruise lines are continuing to show their guests polar bears, some by sailing closer to Greenland. The impact of Norway's distance rule is 'more to do with how we communicate', she said. 'The communication around Arctic voyages is going to change. 'Companies hopefully will no longer be putting close-up images of polar bears on the brochure. 'That's a good thing, because finally we will start talking about the destination the way it should be talked about.' But expedition leader and photographer Paul Goldstein criticised the new regulations. He told The Independent's travel podcast: 'This is a classic example of what I term 'conservation fascism'. 'I have led small ship charters in the region since 2004. 'Never once have I seen a single incident where tourists intimidate or affect the behaviour of polar bears.' He added that if a camera lens 'the size of a Stinger missile' is required to see polar bears then most visitors will miss out. Norway's minister of climate and environment Andreas Bjelland Erikse previously said the rules are necessary as climate change is 'leading to more difficult conditions for polar bears on Svalbard'. He went on: 'It is important for them to be able to search for food, hunt, rest and take care of their cubs without interference from humans. 'That is why we must keep a good distance.' The minimum distance will be reduced to 300 metres from July 1. The Norwegian government said visitors to Svalbard have 'a duty to retreat to a legal distance' if they encounter a polar bear that is too close. Ships are also banned from carrying more than 200 passengers in the region.
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
New polar bear rule blamed for empty cruise ships
New rules in Svalbard, Norway, require tourist ships to stay at least 500 metres (1,640 feet) away from polar bears until 30 June, reducing to 300 metres thereafter, to protect the animals from human interference. The Norwegian government says the regulations are necessary due to climate change impacting polar bear habitats, and will ensure they can hunt, rest, and care for their cubs without disturbance. Violators of the distance rule face up to five years in prison if substantial environmental damage or risk is caused. Expedition leader Paul Goldstein has criticised the rules as "conservation fascism", claiming he has never seen tourists harm polar bears and that the regulations are excessively strict. Mr Goldstein argues the new rules are causing thousands of cabins on tourist ships to remain empty, denying many people the chance to see polar bears up close.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Norway's new rules to protect polar bears from tourists slammed as ‘conservation fascism'
As peak season for expedition voyages in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard gets under way, tourist ships are staying hundreds of metres away from polar bears under new rules intended to protect the carnivores. Svalbard, whose largest island is Spitzbergen, is a remarkably accessible wilderness. Its capital, Longyearbyen, is barely 800 miles from the North Pole yet has daily flights from Oslo. The archipelago attracts travellers keen to experience Arctic nature and see wildlife – notably polar bears. At the start of 2025 the Norwegian government placed strict limits on how close expedition ships could approach polar bears – initially set at 500 metres (1,640 feet). The minister of climate and environment, Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, said: ' Climate change is leading to more difficult conditions for polar bears on Svalbard. 'It is important for them to be able to search for food, hunt, rest, and take care of their cubs without interference from humans. 'Keeping a good distance will also ensure that dangerous situations do not arise and that polar bears do not get used to humans over time.' The new law says: 'Any person who observes a polar bear closer than the distance requirement shall retreat, so as to maintain a lawful distance.' Offenders face up to five years in prison if "substantial environmental damage or a risk thereof has been caused'. Up to 30 June, ships must stay at least 500m away; from 1 July onwards the minimum distance reduces to 300m. But even with the lower limit, expedition leader and photographer Paul Goldstein says the rules are too draconian. He told The Independent 's daily travel podcast: 'This is a classic example of what I term 'conservation fascism'. 'I have led small ship charters in the region since 2004. Never once have I seen a single incident where tourists intimidate or affect the behaviour of polar bears. 'It's not exclusive to Spitzbergen. If you remember those researchers and scientists – we had to listen to their drivel during Covid as they shut down the world, drunk on the oxygen of publicity. 'These clowns are exactly the same. Their motto's very simple: 'We're not happy till you're not happy'.' Mr Goldstein said 'thousands of cabins' are sailing empty as a result of the distance rule, adding: 'The dream is to see Ursus Maritimus padding over some sea ice. But if your precision optics demand a lens the size of a Stinger missile, the pleasure and thrill is being denied to almost all the gallery.' The Norwegian government says the number of people travelling to Svalbard is rising, while simultaneously the archipelago is undergoing the fastest climate change on the planet.
CBC
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Former Manitoba PC leadership candidate loses appeal of polar bear ecotourism permit cut
A Churchill ecotourism business has lost its appeal to keep its polar bear viewing vehicle permits this year. In February, the provincial Wildlife Branch informed Wally Daudrich that it was rescinding licences for his company, Lazy Bear Expeditions, to operate two tundra vehicles on the coastal plains of the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, where polar bears gather in large numbers each fall before the ice freezes up on Hudson Bay. The Wildlife Branch told Daudrich — a former candidate for leader of Manitoba's Progressive Conservative Party — that the continuing decline in the number of polar bears on the western side of Hudson Bay, based on a 2021 aerial survey, was the reason for the decision. The branch said the province was reducing the number of vehicles allowed to traverse the tundra in the management area from 20 to 18. That was the number of vehicles permitted to carry tourists to see polar bears prior to 2020, when the provincial government granted two vehicle allocations to Lazy Bear. Last March, Daudrich asked the Manitoba Court of King's Bench to review the Wildlife Branch's decision, declare it invalid and restore his permits for two vehicles. Daudrich also asked the court to declare the decision was unreasonable and made in bad faith. A judge dismissed Daudrich's motion for an injunction in April. In a decision dated June 9, the three justices of the Manitoba Court of Appeal dismissed Daudrich's appeal of the April decision. "What Lazy Bear is actually seeking is not an injunction prohibiting the minister from acting," the decision says. "Rather, it is an injunction requiring the minister to act — to issue a new permit when an earlier permit expired — something the minister is not obligated to do." The Wildlife Branch inaccurately told Daudrich that it was "rescinding" Lazy Bear's vehicle licences, but its intention was to let Daudrich know that his business would not receive a permit in the 2025-26 season, the appeal court's decision says. Established precedent has proven there's no automatic right to licence or permit renewals, the appeal court decision says. The judge who heard Daudrich's injunction motion also said Daudrich did not prove that he'd suffered irreparable harm without the vehicle licences that couldn't be recovered as damages from the province if his lawsuit were successful, according to the appeal court decision. A provincial spokesperson said they could not comment on a matter before the courts.
