Latest news with #polarBears
E&E News
3 days ago
- Politics
- E&E News
Feds revise rules for polar bear harassment in Arctic drilling
The Fish and Wildlife Service revised the rules Wednesday governing how much Arctic oil drilling can hassle the Beaufort Sea's polar bears. Pressed by litigation and an appellate court's order, the federal agency updated the regulation that authorizes the oil and gas industry's unintentional harassment of polar bears protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The new rules allow for more serious harassment than had previously been anticipatedbut don't cover 'lethal take' of the polar bears. Advertisement The Alaska Oil and Gas Association, which requested the updated regulations, is 'carefully reviewing' the final rule 'to assess its consequences for AOGA's members operating on the North Slope,' spokesperson Sarah Erkmann Ward said in a statement.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Top Greenland official's move to stop Trump's purchase plans
On a day when the mercury hit 98 degrees in Washington, there was talk of polar bears and arctic cooperation inside the Danish embassy – with a top official from Greenland insisting the territory is not for sale. Western politicians mostly had their eyes on missiles exploding in Tehran and Tel Aviv Monday. But it was also just after Greenland's National Day, and the Danish government took the occasion to organize a demonstration of a softer kind of power. Kim Kielsen, the head of the Greenlandic parliament, flew to DC for the event, addressing notables who gathered at the embassy. Wearing a blue hoodie, he spoke of the local culture, of indigenous shamans who rely on polar bears and walruses – and of the importance of sovereignty. 'Let me repeat: Greenland is not for sale, but we are open for business,' the former policeman – also a hunter and professional fisherman – told a crowd of more than 100 who sweated through the event. Later, Kielsen flipped through images some of his hunting kills on his cell phone, even retrieving a photo of himself singlehandedly carrying three reindeers he had shot. The unspoken backdrop for Monday's celebration was President Donald Trump's chilling statement that 'we need Greenland for national security and international security' and 'will go as far as we have to' to get it. Not much has come of his proclamations to date, and Trump toned down talk of another territorial ambition – his desire to make Canada the 51st state – on his trip to Alberta last week. At the embassy, a midcentury modern building near former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton's Washington home, there were video demonstrations of just some of what Greenland has to offer – with images of fish filets being packed for distribution. Unmentioned were Greenland's rare earth minerals, which Trump has called essential for the US to be able to extract. A band of Greenlandic women from an orphanage in Uummannaq sang songs in their native tongue, joined by a man on electric base and a Danish woman who was teaching them. 'It's a big honor,' musician Karina Moeller told the Daily Mail. 'There's a big movement right now of decolonization. They're very angry at Denmark. But music is a way to expressing your own culture rather than yelling at other people,' she said. 'Greenland has transitioned from being a colony, to home rule, to self rule,' said Denmark's Ambassador to the U.S. Jesper Møller Sørensen. 'And I will submit I am confident that the Kingdom of Denmark will continue to evolve, just as it has in the past,' he said. 'It is a very warm day, there is no doubt about it,' noted Jacob Isbosethsen, saying the heat stacks up to his post in Beijing. His predecessor, Ambassador Kenneth Hoegh, now chairs senior Arctic officials on the Arctic Council with Denmark chairing the group. Even the embassy's executive Chef Lasse Fredrik Jensen testified to his 'love affair with Greenland.' 'Being in the kitchen all day, this is a cool breeze, so I'm going to take my time,' he quipped as he ran through a menu of delicacies featuring Greenlandic offerings. He says he first got the Greenland bug when he was sent to a U.S. air base there. Now it has been rechristened Pituffik Space Base. The chef prepared Greenlandic shrimp in his own take on a Maine-style lobster roll, Greenlandic cod salad, and shredded lamb with Arctic thyme.
The Independent
19-06-2025
- 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
19-06-2025
- 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
17-06-2025
- 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.
