Published on : Thursday, August 2, 2018
In the high-season, thousands of international tourists come for a glimpse of the Arctic’s natural splendor on both small and large ships, occasionally disembarking for land excursions on remote islands.
The number of cruise and expedition ship passengers has grown from approximately 35,000 people in 2006 to 48,000 in 2016, according to the recent Svalbard government statistics. Some large cruise liners bring in as many as 4,000 passengers, leading to overcrowding in the area.
But the polar bear’s untimely death brought up the issue of sustainability of tourism growth near the North Pole.
There are roughly 3,000 polar bears living in the less-inhabited eastern part of the Svalbard archipelago. Driven nearly to extinction by overhunting in past decades, the population of polar bears has been steadily increasing since the 1970s. However, their existence remains fragile and, as more ice melts, the bears are forced to travel longer distances to find food.
The government prohibits visitors from tracking or disturbing the animals in any way, because the bears can quickly overheat when stressed, and such situations can lead to their death. But authorities also advise people venturing outside settlements such as Longyearbyen to carry firearms, in case of unexpected encounters.
A 42-year-old crew member was attacked by a polar bear, which was then shot and killed in what the crew member said was an act of self-defense.
The incident is being investigated by the authorities now, and it sheds light on the challenges of tourism growth in the area.
The main challenge lies not in the number of people coming to visit, but what they do and where they go.