Conditions in Svalbard being what they are, you might find yourself in dangerous situations that demand the utmost from yourself and your gear. Sudden changes of weather, intense cold and poor visibility will all challenge your judgement. Crossing of glaciers and sea demand special know-how. Your gear has to meet certain requirements: you will need suitable firearms and ammunition as a precaution against polar bears. "Suitable firearms" means, for instance, a big-game rifle such as a .308 or higher cal. Winchester. In addition, you will need an emergency beacon if you are going outside "Administration Area 10". Please refer to the folder "Safety in Svalbard" for further details.

Polar Bear precautions

The polar bear is one on the world's largest predators and extremely dangerous for humans. It can materialise anywhere in Svalbard, all year-round. Should one emerge, your line of conduct should be to keep a safe distance, evading trouble. If this is not possible, you are allowed to shoot the bear in self-defence.

To protect yourself in the event of a polar bear attack, you need know-how about firearms, and experience. You also need devices to drive off polar bears, such as a flare gun or an emergency signal flare pen (with crack cartridges).

No single animal in Svalbard is the object of more interest than the polar bear. Many people would love to see a bear, but legislation strictly limits permissible conduct. Article 30 of the "Svalbard Environmental Protection Act" reads: "It is prohibited to entice, feed, chase or otherwise actively make contact with a polar bear, disturbing it and thus giving rise to danger for humans and the bear". Blatant violation of this provision is punishable with fines and suspended imprisonment.

Emergency beacon

In order to be able to call for help in an emergency, you are required to bring an emergency beacon with you. In the event of danger "for life or limb", as we say, it can be turned on to trigger a rescue operation. The emergency beacon sends signals via satellite to the rescue service centre. These signals can also be picked up by aircraft or hand-held receivers on the ground. They provide accurate information about your position and enable the rescue service to reach you, and help you, swiftly. Being able to localise the accident quickly saves time, resources and lives. A satellite telephone can also come in handy, but does not in any way replace the emergency beacon.