March 20. 2015

Solar eclipse in Spitsbergen.
On March 20th there is a total solar eclipse in Svalbard, and many visitors are expected from the mainland. Since Longyearbyen is a small town, there might be some capacity problems with so many people gathered at the same time.


March 6. 2015

Russia boosts tourism on Spitsbergen.
Development of tourism is one of Russia’s prioritized areas to secure its presence on the archipelago of Spitsbergen. The state company Trust Arktikugol is now registered as a tour operator and could welcome its first guests to the Arctic wilderness.


January 9. 2015

Polish man rescued from glacier crevasse.
A Polish man in his early forties was rescued from a glacier crevasse on Hansbreen in the Hornsund area. Personnel from the Governor of Svalbard and Longyearbyen Red Cross and a doctor from the Hospital in Longyearbyen took part in the rescue operation.


January 1. 2015

From 1 January 2015, the Governor will require that all applications for research in Svalbard, and research reports, are sent through the application module in RIS.
Research in Svalbard (RiS) is a database for registration of all scientific projects in Svalbard. For more information concerning the database, please contact Svalbard Science Forum, SSF.


October 6. 2014

Rapid growth in Spitsbergen walrus population.
Hunted for nearly 350 years, walruses in the Norwegian Arctic were on the brink of extinction. Then came the neighbours swimming from Russia’s Franz Josef Land.


September 3. 2014

Russia vows stronger foothold on Spitsbergen.
A consortium of research, education and other organizations is established with the aim to “ensure the Russian presence on Spitsbergen.”


July 27. 2014

Warmer ocean temperatures in Svalbard waters has resulted in new species moving into the food chain.
In recent years new species of fish have been registered as permanent residents in Svalbard waters. Capelin has in some years replaced krill as the major food source for captured kittiwakes and makes up a significant part of the diet of local seabirds.


June 13. 2014

Ice loss north of Svalbard in winter.
During the last decades warmer Atlantic water has caused a retreat of the ice edge north of Svalbard.
In contrast to other areas of the Arctic Ocean, the largest ice loss north of Svalbard occurred during winter.


June 1. 2014

Norway stops Chinese tycoon’s bid on Svalbard.
The 217 square kilometers large plot is one of two privately owned properties on the Arctic archipelago. It has its own mountain and is estimated to hold over 20 million tons of coal.
A few weeks ago Chinese billionaire, property tycoon and poet Huang Nubo said he would bid for the property and that he is planning to build a resort for Chinese tourists on the island.


May 4. 2014

Record-breaking number of participants at Spitsbergen Skimarathon.
On June 07, marathon runners from many countries will start for the northernmost regular marathon that is held annually.


May 2. 2014

Embrapa (The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) made a major deposit into the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in February 2014.
Dr. Mauricio Lopes, President of Embrapa and member of the Crop Trust Executive Board, reports from the Seed Vault on the importance of the Crop Trust and the Seed Vault.


April 1. 2014

Warmer Arctic could give boost to cruise tourism.
But a rapid growth in Arctic cruise tourism is a myth, says the cruise operators.


March 12. 2014

Australian seed deposit into Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
"These seeds could one day hold the key to boosting productivity or solving the challenges of drought, frost and disease," says Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) leader Sally Norton.


March 3. 2014

A green energy future for Spitsbergen.
The University of Tromsø in northern Norway has for the last couple of years investigated the potential for geothermal energy both in Longyearbyen and in the research community of Ny-Ålesund.


February 23. 2014

The heat is on...
The average temperature at Spitsbergen is so far this year almost 15 degrees above normal.
Researchers conclude that key parts of the Arctic is facing more rains and warmer temperatures.


February 6 - 9. 2014

Polarjazz Festival
World's northernmost jazz festival with great artists like: Rypdal & Tekrø, Lissie, Mezzoforte, Silje Nergaard, Stillhouse ft. Steinar Raknes, Unni Wilhelmsen and Paolo Vinaccia


October 18. 2013

New, carnivorous plant species found in Spitsbergen!
Alpine butterwort is a carnivorous plant native to high latitudes and altitudes throughout Eurasia, especially found in mountainous regions. Native to cold climates, it is a temperate species, forming prostrate rosettes of green to red leaves and white flowers in the summer.


June 18. 2013

Cruise passenger killed
An American cruiseship passenger in her 60s was killed and three others injured when a rubber inflatable boat that was carrying them closer to shore in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard was hit by a wave. All 13 persons on board the boat landed in the icy Arctic water.


June 1. 2013

Spitsbergen Marathon
You can register yourself until 24.05.2013 23:59.


May 4. 2013

World’s northernmost coal company posts huge loss and is forced to send miners home from the Arctic.
Store Norske Spitsbergen Kullkompani (SNSK), the Norwegian state own coal mining company on Svalbard is no longer good business.


April 27. 2013

Svalbard Ski Marathon
You can register yourself until 19.04.2013 23:59.


April 22. 2013

Melting Arctic gives cold spring.
The unprecedented melting of Arctic sea ice is the reason for this year’s extraordinary cold spring weather in northern Europe and North America, researchers say.


April 15. 2013

Millions to new harbour in Longyearbyen
Pointing to the climate changes, which will make waters in the High North easier accessible for shipping, the Norwegian Government says that NOK 200 million (app €26,7 million) will be allocated to development of new harbor infrastructure in Longyearbyen. The number of vessels to the Arctic archipelago has gone up during the last years.


April 3. 2013

Spring has sprung in the Arctic
Arctic sea ice has passed its annual maximum extent and is beginning its seasonal decline through the spring and summer. While total extent was not at record low, it remained well below average through March.


Januari 31. - February 3. 2013

Polarjazz
Since 1998 is Polarjazz world's northernmost Jazz festival.


Januari 28. 2013

Less ice than normal in the Arctic
The ice covering the Arctic is 5,2 percent less than the normal and also thinner than average, Russian meteorologists report.


Januari 17-20. 2013

Cinemarctic film festival - Longyearbyen
Cinemarctic shows a part of the films from Tromsø International Film Festival. Two movies, shown under the name 'DOC 5', were filmed in Spitsbergen.


December 11. 2012

The Russian Federal Tourism Agency is looking for contractors to develop a brand that can help promote the Russian part of Svalbard as a tourist destination.
The agency is now searching for a contractor to analyze the market for tourism to the Russian parts of the Arctic archipelago and to develop a brand for the destination. Rosturizm pays 450.000 rubles (€11.300) for the job.


December 10. 2012

Norway considers Unesco protection for Svalbard.
The inclusion of Spitsbergen in Unesco’s World Heritage list could hamper the Arctic archipelago’s role in future energy projects, industry representatives argue.


November 27. 2012

The Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and UNIS enter a formal agreement of cooperation this week. The IMR will open its new office in the Svalbard Science Centre.
By having an office in Longyearbyen, the IMR hopes to strengthen its presence in Svalbard, says IMR research director Harald Loeng. Climate change means that the Arctic Ocean is an increasingly important element in the management of the ecosystems, according to him.


November 5. 2012

HM Queen Sonja has agreed to open the Polar Jazz 2013 and attend the exhibition opening at the Gallery Svalbard.
The events will take place on Thursday, 31.1.2013 and the program will be developed in collaboration with the Royal Court, the Governor of Svalbard, Polar Jazz and Longyearbyen Community Council.


October 22. 2012

Biologists record increasing amounts of plastic litter in the Arctic deep sea: studies confirm that twice as much marine debris is lying on the seabed today compared to ten years ago.
The sea bed in the Arctic deep sea is increasingly strewn with litter and plastic waste. As reported in the advance online publication of the scientific journal Marine Pollution Bulletin by Dr. Melanie Bergmann, biologist and deep-sea expert at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association. The quantities of waste observed at the AWI deep-sea observatory HAUSGARTEN are even higher than those found in a deep-sea canyon near the Portuguese capital Lisbon.


October 15. 2012

Record high cod quotas in the Barents Sea.
Norway and Russia yesterday agreed to set the cod quotas for 2013 to one millions tons, nearly 250 000 tons more than last year.


October 3. 2012

Cod reach new heights in their extension northward.
This year cod were documented to occur as far as 82 degrees and 30 minutes north (82o 30’ N). This observation was made by scientists aboard the Russian research vessel "Vilnyus".


September 5. 2012

The Barents Sea warms up.
A recent study by the Institute of Marine Research, the University of Bergen and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research in Norway shows that the northwest Barents Sea warmed substantially during the last decades. This was partly caused by the general warming of Atlantic Water in the North Atlantic Ocean. Additionally, a regional wind pattern indirectly strengthened a warm deep current that enters the Barents Sea from the north.


June 28. 2012

Sharp increase in cruise vessels sailing north.
Longyearbyen expect 415 port calls this year, shows the figures from the bulletin of the cruise port businesses. Most of the vessels sail in the period from late June to mid August, the season of the Midnight Sun. (Cruise vessels made 315 port calls in 2011, and 349 in 2010.)


June 27. 2012

Climate changes shake the Arctic. Only five hibernating polar bears counted this winter at Kongsøya on the Svalbard archipelago.
Researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute have been counting polar bears hibernate on Kongsøya over the last 32 years. The island in the eastern part of Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic has always been important for hibernating polar bears. In 1980 they counted 50 hibernates. In 2009 there were 25, while this year only five where counted.


June 1. 2012

Longyearbyen Camping in Dutch hands.
Michelle van Dijk, guide/expedition leader @ Spitsbergen & webmaster of this website, bought Longyearbyen Camping from Andreas Umbreit.
Longyearbyen Camping | Promote your Page too


May 5. 2012

For more than 25 years hunters in Svalbard have collected reindeer jaws and the results are now in.
Researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute have analyzed 3428 reindeer jaws from animals shot in Svalbard between 1983 and 2009. The jaws can be used to determine the age of the animal based on the number and condition of the teeth. Together with information provided by the hunters (date, year, sex and hunting area) the results cane yield valuable information on the age and condition of the reindeer population in Svalbard.


February 1-5. 2012

Polar Jazz Spitsbergen
Cool Place, Hot Music with: Kaizers Orchestra, Maria Mena, Delillos, Ole Paus, Bjelleklang, The Real Thing, Christianssands String Swing Ensemble & Bård Watn


December 22. 2011

Spitsbergen tentative at UNESCO's World Heritage list
Regjeringen vil starte opp arbeidet med sikte på å nominere deler av Svalbard til Unescos verdensarvliste. Arbeidet vil starte opp i 2012.

Tentative listed at UNESCO


November 4. 2011

Following the increasing international focus on the maritime areas surrounding Svalbard, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published comprehensive back-ground material.
The publication is produced in cooperation with the Norwegian Polar Institute, the University Centre in Svalbard, SINTEF, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


November 3. 2011

Norway’s Minister of Environment Erik Solheim has for the third time in a row decided not to attend the Barents environmental ministers meeting.
Environmental groups active in the north are disappointed by Erik Solheim’s low priority to Barents environmental issues.
- This sends a very unfortunate signal now as many people’s eyes are towards the north. The Barents Region is too important to be left for the oil minister alone, says Lars Haltbrekken, head of the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature.


October 31. 2011

Spitsbergen: Fishbone of contention for Russia and Norway.
Norwegian law-enforcement agencies have detained about a dozen of Russian trawlers since the beginning of the year. The owners of the arrested ships have thus lost 70 million rubles in total and had to pay the fines of $400,000 in total.


October 21. 2011

Public prosecutor in Tromsø explains why arrested Russian trawlers always are taken to port by the coast guard. Norwegians are afraid they otherwise will escape justice.
Russian media reports following the September 28 arrest of the trawler “Sapphire II” claim that Norway is much tougher with their vessels than Norway’s own fishing fleet. “Sapphire II” was towed to Tromsø, hold in port for nearby a week, and given a fine of NOK 450.000 (€57.000).


October 17. 2011

New movie about Willem Barentsz.
Dutch cineast Reinout Oerlemans films Willem Barents overwintering at Nova Zembla.
Based on the journals of Gerrit the Veer.


August 5. 2011

Polar bear killed British expedition member.
British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) confirms the tragic death this morning of one of the members of its expeditions in Svalbard.
In addition to this death, four other members of the expedition have sustained injuries, two of them severe. They are being evacuated to Tromsø hospital at present. No other members of the expedition have been injured.


26 July 2011

Cruise ships cannot reach Longyearbyen.
Because of the packice conditions in Isfjorden, currently cruise ships are not able to reach Longyearbyen. Already 5 cruise ships had to turn around. Also small sailing vessels are suffering, Expedition-ship Plancius helped the Polish sailing vessel Eltanin, but a Scottish sailing had to use their emergency beacon.


19 July 2011

Polar bear in Ny Ålesund.
At breakfast there is a note about a polar bear sighting. During the day we can see the pictures taken by the Chinese team. They were the only one who observed the bear, the rest of the village was sleeping.


15 July 2011

Crossing the North Pole.
Sébastien Roubinet and Rodolphe André cross the Arctic Ocean, between water and ice, with only assistance of the wind... and their muscles: departure from Alaska, arrived in the Spitsbergen from the North Pole, on nearly 3000 km (1750 nautical miles), they will advance a strange device, hybrid catamaran/char-to-ice, able to evolve on the water and ice.


8 July 2011

Svalbard inspiring Youth Climate Activists.
During a one-week-long cruise along the Western and Northern coasts of Spitsbergen, the participants underwent an intensive program combining seminars, networking, and observation of the Arctic wildlife.

Norway detains French trawler.
The Norwegian Coast Guard detains the French trawler “Grande Hermine” because of suspected dumping of fish.


7 July 2011

Norway detains Russian trawler in the waters outside Svalbard.
The Coast Guard vessel Senja this week detained the Murmansk-based trawler “Izumrud” after irregularities were discovered in the vessel’s ship journal.

Polar bears have maternal Irish brown bear ancestors.
Analysis of mitochondrial DNA - which is passed from mother to child - has shown the extinct Irish brown bears are the ancestors of all today's polar bears.


3 June 2011

Russia to clean up on Svalbard.
Russia intends to spend some 186 million rubles on clean-up after Russian activity on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.


1 June 2011

Niels, the second goose on Svalbard.
Data downloaded today reveal that Niels in fact was the second goose to arrive in Svalbard. He departed 26 May at 03:00 and arrived 29 May at 17:00.
Follow geese on a Blog that is dedicated to Brent Goose - the smallest and northernmost breeding goose in the World, and the one that also undertakes some of the longest non-stop journeys of any goose species in the World. It was launched with the Brenttags project in May 2011.


30 May 2011

4G network opened on Svalbard.
Norwegian telecommunications major Telenor has chosen the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard as testing ground for its new 4G network.


26 May 2011

Avinor winds down ash emergency.
Avinor has wound down the ash emergency, and air traffic in Norway is expected to operate as normal in the time ahead.

23 May 2011

Grimsvötn halts flights to Svalbard, oil rigs.
All Norwegian flights between mainland Norway and Svalbard are temporarily cancelled as ash from the Iceland's Grimsvotn volcano swept across the Norwegian area of the Barents Sea on Monday night. Russian flights are still operating in the area.

During the course of Monday afternoon 23 May volcanic ash will move into Norwegian airspace between mainland Norway and Svalbard. After 14.00 it is expected that air traffic to and from Svalbard will be affected – and that air traffic will stop from 20.00 this evening.


20 May 2011

Hurum receives Nat. Geographic Prize.
Norwegian palaeontologist Jørn Hurum has been awarded the National Geographic "Emerging Explorers" prize for his important finds of prehistoric giant sea reptiles on the Arctic island of Svalbard.


19 May 2011

Russia rushing to prepare Svalbard strategy.
Within June 10. Russia will have a strategy for how to increase the country’s presence on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.
Establishment of a filial of the Polar Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography (PINRO) on Svalbard is suggested as one of the main measures.


27 April 2011

On Thin Ice: New Report Identifies 13 Vulnerable Arctic Treasures as Ice Melts, Industry Moves In.
“We have a short window of opportunity to plan for industrial development in a way that respects and protects important and fragile ocean habitats, wildlife and communities. As nations around the Arctic plan new offshore oil development, fishing and shipping, this report jumpstarts the process of identifying areas that should be considered for protection from the environmental consequences of those activities, including oil spills, pollution, and habitat degradation.”


9 February 2011

New report "Climate change in the Arctic. Consequences for life in the north", is translated into English.
Climate development in the northern Norway and Svalbard during 1900-2100, physical and biogeochemical processes, effects on ecosystems and biodiversity, effects on people and society and adaption and mitigation.
The report can be downloaded from the Norwegian Polar Institute's online publication archive.


8 February 2011

Russia to build research center in Barentsburg.
The plan is to modernize already existing buildings and have the new research center up and running by 2013. The center will be developing projects of geophysical, hydrologic and geologic art and will also contain a station for reception of satellite data and rooms for scientific conferences.


2-6 February 2011

Polarjazz Spitsbergen
Cool Place Hot Music is the slogan of Longyearbyen's jazzfestival.


1 February 2011

Warmest in 2,000 years
The Arctic is responding more rapidly to global warming than most other areas on our planet. Northward-flowing Atlantic Water is the major means of heat advection toward the Arctic and strongly affects the sea ice distribution. Records of its natural variability are critical for the understanding of feedback mechanisms and the future of the Arctic climate system, but continuous historical records reach back only ~150 years. Here, we present a multidecadal-scale record of ocean temperature variations during the past 2000 years, derived from marine sediments off Western Svalbard (79°N). We find that early–21st-century temperatures of Atlantic Water entering the Arctic Ocean are unprecedented over the past 2000 years and are presumably linked to the Arctic amplification of global warming.


19 January 2011

Arctic fox on Hopen infected with rabies.
An arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) that attacked dogs at the meteorological station on Hopen has been tested positive for rabies. This is the first registered occurrence of rabies in Svalbard since 1999.


18 January 2011

The recovery of an ichthyosaur from Edgeøya.
During field work in the Triassic of Edgeøya in 2007, geologists from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, with aid from SINTEF Petroleum Research and Polish scientists, discovered a well preserved fossil ichthyosaur.
Fragments of ichthyosaur skeletons have been found in different parts of Svalbard, but the Edgeøya specimen is of special scientific value as both the skull and other skeletal parts are present.


13 January 2011

Wants Russian ship wreck removed.
These poisonous substances will be accumulated in the species living in the area and can give damages that will reduce the survival capabilities of fish, seabirds and seal, says Governor of Svalbard Odd Olsen Ingerø to NRK. He recommends that the wreck should be emptied of remaining pollutants and removed.


10 January 2011

Gold strike on Spitsbergen.
The company Store Norske Gull has found gold on the Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen.


Winter 2010/2011

Philips testing Wake-Up Light in Longyearbyen.
People of Longyearbyen got the opportunity to test the Philips Wake-Up Light.


20 December 2010

New regulations regarding control of travellers between Svalbard and the mainland.
As of 1 Febrary 2011, the identity of all travellers between Svalbard and the Norwegian mainland will be checked both upon arrival and departure.


26 October 2010

Russian cargo vessel detained by Norwegian Coast Guard.
Cargo vessel “The Atlantic Lady” had been registered weighed and registered after fish splitting rather than prior to it as required.


5 August 2010

A ”plum” discovery in Svea
A UNIS master student made an unusual find the other day in Svea, the mining settlement south of Longyearbyen. Just outside the mess hall she discovered two small trees, and it turns out they are tiny plum trees!


28 July 2010

Paddler attacked by Polar bear
This afternoon was a paddler attacked by a Polar Bear, while in his tent. He was dragged along for 40 meters until his friend managed to shoot the bear.


5 June 2010

Spitsbergen Marathon
Spitsbergen Marathon organised by Svalbard Turn.


2 June 2010

Record-high PCB levels over Svalbard
A new study shows that emission from forest, straw and stubble fires on the northern hemisphere causes very high concentrations of toxic PCB over Svalbard. PCB and other harmful pollution coming to the Arctic are jeopardizing the survival of Polar bears.


31 May 2010

Another Russian trawler detained
For the second time this month Norwegian Coast Guard has detained a Russian fishing trawler on suspicion of dumping of fish outside Svalbard. The Russian trawler “Izumrud” was arrested in the fisheries protection zone near the Svalbard archipelago on Saturday morning and escorted to the port of Tromsø, Norway.


27 May 2010

Thulitheripus svalbardii
About 60 million years ago a pantodont was walking along a Svalbard sea shore. The fossil footprints of this mammal were discovered in 2006, the first discovery of fossil mammal tracks on Spitsbergen. Now these tracks have gotten a formal name: Thulitheripus svalbardii.


19 May 2010

Ash cloud halts all Svalbard air traffic.
The latest eruption comes a month after European air traffic was thrown into chaos for a week by a large ash cloud. Flights between Svalbard and mainland Norway were halted for only about a day, Store Norske also temporarily halted its Svea mining operations since transportation from the mine in the event of an emergency is not possible.


14 May 2010

Operational problems are making the temperature inside the Svalbard Global Seed Vault hotter than it should be.
The vault, which has experienced numerous technical problems since opening in February 2008, has failed to reach the intended storage temperature of minus 18 degrees Celsius due to incorrect coolant settings. There are also problems with water flowing into the vault's outer tunnel because permafrost disrupted by construction has not refrozen yet.


7 May 2010

Norwegian coast guard detains Russian trawler.
The Murmansk trawler “Viking” was arrested on Thursday in the fisheries protection zone near the Svalbard archipelago.

12 May 2010

Russian trawler released – owner rejects accusations on poaching.
Poleshev says that his company regards the actions of the Norwegian fishery inspectors as illegitimate, as Russia does not acknowledge Norway’s rules for fishing in these areas. – Our state should be more active in securing Russian fishermen’s safety in the Svalbard zone, he states.
There are different views on the geographical scope of the Treaty concerning Spitsbergen, and Norway chose in 1977 until further notice to establish a fisheries protection zone rather than a full economic zone.


24 April 2010

Spitsbergen Ski - Marathon
Spitsbergen Skimarathon organised by Svalbard Turn.


22 April 2010

Slight fall in Svalbard population
Svalbard has a high level of in- and out-migration, markedly influencing the size of the population. On 1 January 2010, 2 481 were registered at Svalbard, 84 fewer than one year earlier. A total of 2 052 of these lived in the Norwegian settlements Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund.


6 April 2010

First crossing of the North Pole by balloon.
Jean-Louis Etienne took off at 06.10 hrs this morning (Monday) from Longyearbyen, in Spitsbergen aboard Generali Arctic Observer to carry out the first crossing of the North Pole by balloon. This flight represents the third part of his Arctic trilogy, which began on foot, then by boat, before he took to the air. With the support of Zinedine Zidane, the expedition's godfather, Jean-Louis Etienne took off this morning on a 3500 km voyage to Alaska via the North Pole


7 - 13 March 2010

Solfest
This week the returning of the sun is celebrated.


12 March 2010

Arctic Seed Vault Sets Record, Over 500,000 Samples.
A statement said thousands of new arrivals this week made the vault "the most diverse assemblage of crop diversity ever amassed anywhere in the world." It overtakes the diversity in a U.S. national gene bank in Fort Collins, Colorado.


11 March 2010

May last year the Russian fish cargo vessel “Petrozavodsk” ran aground in the coastal cliffs of Bear Island.
On May 11th last year the Russian vessel “Petrozavodsk” ran aground on Bear Island, right in the middle of the breeding area of large sea bird colonies. The worst scenario for the planned removal of the wreck became reality recently when it broke in two pieces.


10 March 2010

Zubkov to lead Svalbard commission.
Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov is appointed new Head of the Governmental Commission for Russian presence on Svalbard.


19 February 2010

Withdrawal of charges for Russian vessel.
The Governor of Svalbard has determined that charges against Russian vessel “Jupiter” are to be withdrawn. Investigation has shown that the captain of the vessel had sent the catch reports to the Norwegian authorities in a wrong way. The reports were never received at the Norwegian Directorate of Fiseheries.


3 - 7 February 2010

PolarJazz
Artist line up: * Sivert Høyem * Cowabunga * Marita Sørli og Anders Hunstad * Jan Eggum * Acuna/Hoff/Mathisen * Desafinado * Polkabjørn & Kleine Heine * Treasure * Katzenjammer * Farmers Market * Hekla Stålstrenga * Lyriaka


26 January 2010

West Air CRJ2 veered off runway on landing.
A West Air Sweden Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of DHL, with 2 crew, veered off runway 28 while landing at Longyearbyen's Svalbard Airport. The airplane came to a stand still with all gear off the paved surface in a 90 degrees angle to the runway about 300 meters short of the runway end. No injuries occured, the airplane received no visible damage.


4 January 2010

Arctic temperatures far above average.
Air temperatures in the Arctic were in November and December between 5 and 9 degrees above the average, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute confirms.


13 December 2009

Twilight of the Ice Bear.
Longyearbyen, in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard is bear crazy.
Behind the bear-friendly facade, though, there was an unsettling paradox. If Longyearbyen’s major import was polar bear trinkets, its major export was polar bear poison: coal. The mines of Svalbard supply about four million tons to Europe every year.


8 December 2009

Pesticides in Svalbard snow.
Scientists at the Norwegian Polar Institute and the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) have investigated the amount of pesticides in the snow in Svalbard. Read about their findings here.


2 December 2009

Record warm November.
Svalbard was more than 8 °C warmer than normal average in November.


22 - 25 October 2009

Dark Season Blues Spitsbergen 22-25 october 2009.
World's Northernmost Blues Festival, every year a success!


15 October 2009

More money to Svalbard.
The Norwegian Government plans to increase allocations to Svalbard with 10.3 million NOK. Most of the money goes to the Governor’s office.


15 October 2009

Greenpeace fined 20,000 for bringing too much beer to Tromsø.
Greenpeace has been fined 20,000 kroner after customs agents in Tromsø found 1,250 cans of beer aboard the Arctic Sunrise a few days after the group staged a daylong blockade at the Svea coal mine. "We had a routine inspection when the ship arrived in Tromsø and found there was 627 liters of beer too much on board in relation to what was declared," said Atle Joakimsen, regional customs director for northern Norway.

2 October 2009

Greenpeace blocking Svalbard coal shipment.

Five of the activists were arrested by the police on Saturday morning. - We asked them to come down from the loading crane, but they didn't. Therefor, we had to arrest them, says deputy Governor at Svalbard, Lars Fause.
The Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise has spent the last months in the Arctic sailing in the waters around Greenland and now over to Svalbard area. Onboard are both activists and scientists researching the climate changes impact on the Arctic.


9 September 2009

The Svalbard population of polar bears could be increasing, says World Wildlife Fund expert Dr Tom Arnbom.
The ban on hunting could be one reason behind the increase, despite the rapidly shrinking sea ice in the areas around Svalbard.


8 September 2009

Miners face cuts at Svalbard.
Lower demand has reduced coal production by 50 percent at the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago. The local coal company now intends to dismiss 25 percent of staff.


6 September 2009

Search for Amundsen ended.
The team searching for Amundsen’s aircraft Latham 47 in the area northwest of the Bear Island in the Barents Sea ended the search without any results.


1 September 2009

U.N. leader visits the Arctic.
Ban Ki-moon to tour Svalbard next week after Norwegian official calls him 'spineless'.
At Svalbard, Mr. Ban visited Ny-Ålesund, the quickly developing research village at the archipelago. From Ny-Ålesund, the general secretary was sent by boat to the Arctic ice brim, where the research vessel Lance currently is operating.


Tender for Russian fish processing factory on Spitsbergen.
The tender for projecting of the factory, which will be built in the Russian settlement of Barentsburg, was published on the Fisheries Committee’s web site today. Andrey Krayny in January said that the factory will be built by Norwegian specialists. The reason for this is that Norway has very strict environmental regulations, and it is easier for Norwegians to follow these rules accurately.


25 August 2009

The church on Svalbard will be the first to chime its bells in a “bell relay” to warn about climate changes in the Arctic.
The action starts on Svalbard, because the temperature changes on the planet are strongest felt in the Arctic and the melting in the High North will have huge impacts in all parts of the world, priest in the Svalbard church Leif Magne Helgesen says.


6 june 2009

Spitsbergen Marathon - the northernmost marathon of the world.
Svalbard Turn is arranging the 15th Spitsbergen on Saturday 6th of June 2009. The northernmost marathon race of the world is an attractive competition for both Norwegian and international long distance athletes.


28 april 2009

Russian Post to open office on Spitsbergen.
Russia plans to open a post office on the Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen in the near future. Telecommunication networks, including satellite and mobile systems will be expanded and developed further.


14 april 2009

Russia should be more active on Spitsbergen.
Russia should develop tourism, research and fisheries on Spitsbergen. The archipelago offers unique opportunities for these activities.


3 april 2009

Norway wants Svalbard on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
65 percent of the land area and 87 percent of the territorial waters within the 12 nautical mile boundary is today protected by the Svalbard Environmental Law, aimed to preserve the archipelago’s unique nature and culture.


30 march 2009

Norway to open study in nature guiding on Svalbard.
This is an initiative to strengthen tourism in the High North. The guides will make the experience better for the tourists and enhance the environmental side of the tourist industry on Svalbard.


25 march 2009

Svalbard to remain mining society.
Coal mining is to remain a core industry at Svalbard, the Norwegian government writes in its new report on the archipelago.


20 march 2009

Several polar bear observations near Longyearbyen.
The Governor recommends that everyone who leaves the settlement should carry means to chase the bear in addition to a rifle.


23 February 2009

New guidelines for renting firearms for self-defense against polar bears.
In order to protect tour operators and visitors from polar bear attack, the Governor of Svalbard has prepared provisional rules for the rental of firearms for self-defense against polar bears. In the Governor's opinion, there is no legal basis for the rental arrangements currently in practice by companies in Longyearbyen.


4. - 8. February 2009

Polar Jazz Spitsbergen
Since 1998 world's northernmost jazzfestival takes place in Longyearbyen.


23 January 2009

Norwegian coal mining company Store Norske Group at Svalbard can expect a 100 million EUR surplus for 2008.
2008 has been a good year for coal mining with a high price level on the global market, especially in the first half of the year. In 2007 the average price per ton coal was 82 USD, while the average price has been 160 USD in 2008.


21 January 2009

Russian fish processing factory on Spitsbergen.
Russian authorities plan to build a fish processing factory in the Russian settlement of Barentsburg on Spitsbergen.


19 January 2009

Investments in Longyearbyen harbor.
The local administration in Longyearbyen on Svalbard has approved to spend 3,3 million NOK on improvements of the harbor.
The plans include purchase of a new mooring boat, expansion of the existing tourist quay and installation of a system for water delivery to large vessels.


14 January 2009

Russian trawler sinks nearby Bear Island.
The Russian trawler ”Topaz-A” took on water and sank outside Bear Island in the Barents Sea Tuesday afternoon.


8 January 2009

The amount of applications received by the Governor regarding permissions to travel, to land with helicopter or to do scientific work in protected areas has increased considerably during the last years.
The Governor will still try to conclude as soon as possible, but we recommend applicants to estimate up to 1 month handling time.


5 January 2009

How close should boats come to the fronts of Svalbard 's calving glaciers?
The Norwegian Polar Institute has, after an assignment from the Governor of Svalbard, written a report where the main conclusions are that it is impossible to predict when calving may occur, how large a block will be created, or how it will enter the water. 200 meters is a safe minimum distance, for avoiding both direct hits and the largest waves. At some glacier fronts even this is too close and the Governor advices the captains and tour operators to make a specific risk assessment whenever approaching a glacier front.


23 December 2008

Russia to open scientific station on Spitsbergen.
Russia plans to open a scientific station in the old mining village of Pyramiden.


23 December 2008

Subsidy from Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund spring 2009.
Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund will distribute subsidy for the fourth time spring 2009. For 2009 totaly NOK 7,8 mill will be distributed to environmental initiatives and projects. The first deadline for allocation of funding is the 1.th of February 2009.
The funds resources will be uses to initiate and stimulate good projects and initiatives with the purpose of looking after the lofty environmental goals witch are set for Svalbard. The income from the fund ensures that Svalbard`s distinctive wilderness nature can be preserved as a basis for experiences, knowledge and value creation.


18 December 2008

The Governor notifies new demands concerning science permissions from 1th January 2009.
Handling of equipment, supplies and fuel depots, and also keeping pass one season to another.
Science activity on Svalbard has often a multi-annual perspective. Unfortunately the situation is that both equipment and fuel occasionally is left behind around on Svalbard from former activity of different kind. To prevent accumulation of litter and pollution the Governor will emphasize his practise concerning permission to leave equipment and fuel from one season to another. Our practise in these matters will consist of more precise permissions, demand of security for project continuance and marking and storage. Only exceptionally permission to storage food supplies will be given. If equipment or fuel is left in field beyond the permission period it might be brought in for owners account.


16 December 2008

Until now, the nature reserve around the Bear Island has extended four nautical miles off the coast of the Island. In the future it will reach 12 nautical miles off the coastline.


15 December 2008

Svalbard is given a key role in EU’s new Arctic research agreement. This will bring more money and new projects on climate research to Svalbard.
This week, the ministers of research in all EU countries signed an agreement on climate research. The document states that Svalbard will be given a key role in these plans. EU's priorities will be more goal-oriented in the future, and better use of the climate research possibilities on Svalbard in is one of the initiatives.
Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System


12 December 2008

Observing the Arctic: International Summer School in Longyearbyen, June 2009
The Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), The Norwegian Space Centre and The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) offer a one week course (27 June - 4 July 2009) on fundamentals of Earth Observation, Earth System Models and Climate Change, and the latest developments, with a focus on the Arctic. Application deadline: 15 February 2009.


4 December 2008

International Polar Day - Above The Poles
December 4th, 2008 marks the seventh quarterly International Polar Day, this time focusing on research Above The Polar Regions. This includes polar meteorology, atmospheric sciences, astronomy, and polar observations from space.


21 November 2008

Spitsbergen Airship Museum opens.
The purpose of the museum is to impart the history and importance 3 airships have had in the Arctic. The nations that participated in these historical events (Norway, Russia, Italy, America, Sweden, Czech Republic, Holland, France and Finland) will be represented.


17 November 2008

Russians ready for Spitsbergen petroleum.
Russian geologists believe there is a good chances of finding oil and gas outside the coast of Spitsbergen in the Arctic. However, Norwegian authorities are unlikely to allow such activity.


7 November 2008

KunstPause Svalbard
KunstPause Svalbard is taking a break from daily routine from 6. - 9. november.


31 October 2008

Norway, Russia argue over Svalbard history.
The Norwegian Governor of Svalbard has requested the Pomor Museum in the Russian settlement of Barentsburg to hand over historical objects, which he believes are poorly preserved by the Russians.
The wooden objects are from the 1700 century when Russian hunters lived on Svalbard.


28 October 2008

Russia wants joint Russian-Norwegian fishery regulations.
There are serious differences in how Russia and Norway control the use of marine bio-resources, a representative of the Russian Accounts Chamber says. He now calls for the harmonization of regulations in the Barents Sea.


18 October 2008

Head of the Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF) says the northern parts of the Barents Sea including the Spitsbergen waters should be opened for drilling by year 2014.
The southern parts of the Barents Sea are already opened, and we should aim at the opening of the northern parts after 2014, he maintained. –It takes 15-20 years from new fields are opened to production are started, he added.


17 October 2008

All travellers to Svalbard from Tromsø and Oslo will have to go through passport control.
The governor says it is important that Svalbard is not considered a free zone, with unrestricted and uncontrolled access for everyone.


19 September 2008

Population boom at Spitsbergen?
Leader of the local board in Longyearbyen, Kjell Mork, says that far more people will move to Svalbard over the next years.


16 September 2008

Two million km2 melted in August.
Two million square kilometres of the arctic sea ice melted in August. The latest satellite photos show that the ice cover this fall probably will be even smaller than the all time low recording last year.


2 September 2008

Paddling to the North Pole in melting Arctic.
British Lewis Pugh is preparing for his historic kayak trip to the North Pole. The British explorer will start his 1200 km trip from Spitsbergen this month, the project website Polardefenceproject.org reports.
Polardefenceproject.org


5 August 2008

Norway challenged by Russian plans in Spitsbergen waters.
Russia this week confirmed its intention to start looking for oil and gas in waters near the Spitsbergen archipelago. Meanwhile, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre says in a newspaper interview that Norway has the right to establish an economic zone around the islands and that all industrial activities in the area are subjected to Norwegian regulations. While Norway claims that the Paris Treaty of 1920 gives it the right to establish an economic zone around the archipelago, Russia and a number of other countries maintain that the Paris Treaty only regulates the situation on the archipelago and not at sea.


19 June 2008

Question mark on seismic studies outside Spitsbergen.
Over the last years, the Norwegian oil industry has been allowed to conduct seismic studies in the waters outside Spitsbergen. Now, the governor of the archipelago questions the effects of the activities on the marine environment.


14 June 2008

Spitsbergen Marathon – world’s northernmost marathon.
Svalbard Turn is arranging Spitsbergen Marathon for the 14th time saturday 14th of June 2008. This is the world's most northerly marathon race, and is an attractive competition for both Norwegian and international long distance athletes.


5 June 2008

Polar bear field expedition in Svalbard.
An expedition led by the Norwegian Polar Institute captured 121 polar bears by remote drug injection from a helicopter in Svalbard.


28 May 2008

Norwegian oil industry looks towards Spitsbergen.
The industry believes access to new exploration areas, among them outside Spitsbergen, is a prerequisite for the development of the Norwegian provinces.


27 May 2008

Norway kicked Russian patrol vessels out of Spitsbergen.
Norwegian authorities at Spitsbergen on 20 May kicked the Russian fishery patrol vessel “Mikula” out of the Russian port of Barentsburg. The Russians say Norway with its tough reactions against the vessel violated the Paris Treaty of 1920, which regulates international relations at the far northern archipelago.


26 May 2008

Heirs to the Scandinavian thrones to visit Spitsbergen.
Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark will pay an official visit to the archipelago of Svalbard during the period from 21 to 27 June, 2008.


20 May 2008

Status-report on PCBs in Spitsbergen.
The Governor has, in cooperation with 10 other government and research institutions, issued a report, acquiring available knowledge and management on PCB contamination in Spitsbergen. The report documents the need for, and provides proposals for, further actions and activities. The report can be downloaded in Norwegian, English and Russian.


18 April 2008

Russian Navy to support trawlers outside Spitsbergen.
The support announcement from the Navy comes after Head of the Russian State Fishery Committee, Andrey Krainy, requested help to the fish industry in the Spitsbergen area. According to Mr. Krainy, Norway has unilaterally established a 200 mile zone around the archipelago and hinders Russian fishing in the waters.


16 April 2008

Norway drops court case against the ”Elektron”.
Norwegian authorities have cancelled its planned court case against the Russian trawler “Elektron”. The Russian fishing vessel in late 2005 managed to run away from the Norwegian Coast Guard after having been arrested for illegal fishing.


14 April 2008

Russia will not challenge Norway in Svalbard waters.
The fishery cooperation with Norway is the best Russia has with any country within this field, Head of the Russian State Committee of Fisheries, Andrey Krainy said when he met his Norwegian counterpart, Helga Pedersen in Oslo today.


2 April 2008

Russian patrol vessel sets off towards Spitsbergen.
Captain of the “Mikul”, Mr. Petr Mifanov, says to Regnum that he and his crew intends to inspect also Norwegian trawlers operating in the area.


30 March 2008

Russian helicopter crashed at Spitsbergen.
Three people died and two were seriously injured when a Russian Mi-8 helicopter on Sunday afternoon crashed at Spitsbergen.


26 February 2008

Opening Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Arctic Seed Vault Opens Doors for 100 Million Seeds.
Opening ceremony broadcasted.
Svalbard Global Seed Vault


25 February 2008

Opening Svalbard Global Seed Vault
The vault is set to open Feb. 26. The first specimens — 7,000 seeds from 36 African nations — have shipped to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
The Global Crop Diversity Trust
The Seed Vault inside on YouTube.


21 February 2008

Major earthquake near Storfjorden
The Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen was hit by a major earthquake in the early hours of Thursday morning. The quake measured 6.2 on the Richter scale.
NORSAR's report


18 February 2008

New Northern Light Observatory
There are 16 scientific organizations from 7 nations represented with instruments in the new observatory, among them The University of Alaska-Fairbanks, University College London and the National Institute of Polar Research of Japan.


3 January 2008

Spitsbergen - the warmest place in Norway
Yesterday’s highest temperature in Norway was found on the far northern Spitsbergen archipelago. The unprecedented measurement showed plus 5,8 centigrades.


5 December 2007

Doomsday Seed Vault” in the Arctic
Bill Gates, Rockefeller and the GMO giants know something we don’t.
Did we miss something here? Their press release stated, ‘so that crop diversity can be conserved for the future.’ What future do the seed bank’s sponsors foresee, that would threaten the global availability of current seeds, almost all of which are already well protected in designated seed banks around the world?


23 November 2007

Cruise ship M/S Explorer is sinking.
M/S Explorer, a small cruiseship that travels around Spitsbergen in summer time, began listing close to King George Island in the Antarctic Ocean, near the South Shetland Islands.
Susan Hayes, of Gap Adventures, which owns the ship, said some 100 passengers and 54 crew members were evacuated to lifeboats and then to another ship.


29 October 2007

Symposium Polardiversity
2 november 2008, Nioo organizes Symposium on Polar biodiversity, the past, present & future.


25 October 2007

Artikel in der Zeit: Eine Insel auf Weltreise
Die Erkundung Spitzbergens führt tief hinein in die Geschichte der Erde. In 600 Millionen Jahren driftete die Inselgruppe 15.000 Kilometer weit – vom Süd- bis fast zum Nordpol. Das hinterließ Spuren, die man heute noch lesen kann.


23 October 2007

Murmansk wants joint oil drilling outside Spitsbergen.
As part of the zone could be joint Russian-Norwegian oil and gas exploration and production, as well as environmental research, tourism, fish processing and rescue services.


10 October 2007

Climate changes making Spitsbergen "unrecognizable".
The report “Arctic Report Card” states that average temperatures on the far northern islands have increase with more than one centigrade the last seven years and more than with four degrees on the western coast of the archipelago.


30 May 2007

Wealth Divides 2 Arctic Mining Towns.
Longyearbyen is located only 40 km from the Russian mining community of Barentsburg. The Norwegian and Russian miners are separated by a snow-covered mountain range that marks one of the greatest wage divides in the world for doing the same job. Norwegian miners can earn up to 100.000 USD per year, more than 10 times the pay of a Russian miner.


29 May 2007

Student Opportunity to take part in Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) 2007.
The Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) will take place from 12 to 26 August 2007 and is being led by Hans E.F. Amundsen from the Earth and Planetary Exploration Services (EPX), Oslo, in collaboration with Andrew Steele from the Carnegie Institution of Washington (CIW), and scientists and engineers from other NASA- and ESA-related institutions.


29 May 2007

Spanish pirates back in Spitsbergen waters.
Last year, three Spanish trawlers got 29 million NOK of fines for illegal fishing in the waters around the Spitsbergen archipelago.


28 May 2007

Polar bears chased illegally by snowmobiles.
Tourists and locals chase polar bears by snowmobiles.


28 May 2007

UK grants 10m towards seed bank projects.
The UK's Department for International Development is to invest £10m (c €14.7m) in banking seeds of essential food crops over the next four years, as part of an effort to preserve food sources for poor farmers and maintain crop diversity.


22 May 2007

Svalbard Global Seed Vault: First blast.
Today was the occation for the first tunnelling blast for the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The vault will be completed in September this year.


9 May 2007

”Elektron” trawler captain appealed verdict.
Captain of the “Elektron” trawler, Valerii Yarantsev, has appealed the verdict announced last week by a court in Murmansk.


7 May 2007

Norwegian state injects new funding in mining at Spitsbergen.
The Norwegian government has decided to allocate 250 million NOK (31 million EUR) of fresh funding for the Store Norske Kullkompani at the Spitsbergen archipelago.


1 May 2007

The tax level for people living at Spitsbergen will be decreased from today’s 12 percent to eight percent.
The population at Spitsbergen earlier had a 8 percent tax level, but this was raised to 12 percent by the previous Norwegian government.


30 April 2007

Regional politician: detention of Russian trawlers is politically motivated.
The politician and union leader stresses that Norway has no right to detain Russian vessels in the waters around the Spitsbergen archipelago. –We fish in the area in accordance with the 1920 Paris Agreement, which states that our countries have equal rights with regard to fishing, he says.


27 April 2007

The Norwegian Coast Guard yesterday detained the Russian trawler “Petrozavodsk”.
Norwegian authorities suspect that the trawler repeatedly has failed to report about reloading of catch in the waters around Spitsbergen.


27 April 2007

Norway considers new legal action against the “Elektron”.
A court in Murmansk this week acquitted Valerii Yarantsev, the captain of the “Elektron” trawler, of the charges of kidnapping. Now, Norwegian authorities consider to start new legal action against the “Elektron” – this time against the trawler owners.


26 April 2007

The verdict on Capitan Yarantsev case will be annonced today.
The trial has been closed. The verdict is being read in the open court. In the conference room are more than ten cameras of different TV channels from Russia and other countries, including live coverage from the courtroom lead by Norwegian television.

Captain of a trawler "Elektron" Valery Yarantsev has been justified. The court ordered him to pay a fine in the amount of 100,000 roubles under article 256 of the Russian Criminal Code (illegal fishing).


25 April 2007

Old animal tracks 'show climate risks'.
Fossil footprints of a pantodont, a plant-eating creature weighing about 400kg, add to evidence of sequoia-type trees and crocodile-like beasts in the Arctic millions of years ago when greenhouse gas concentrations in the air were high.


20 April 2007

Sunshine 24 hours a day.
The sun will stay above the horizon until 26 august.


19 April 2007

Tycoon Gates sponsors seed bank on Svalbard.
The founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, donated 30 million dollars to the international seed bank on the Svalbard Island.


18 April 2007

Big powers discussed Spitsbergen without Norway.
Great Britain last fall invited official representatives of Russia, the USA and other countries – but not Norway – to discussions on the future status of the Spitsbergen archipelago. Information about the meeting triggered major reactions in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, which has the High North and the Spitsbergen archipelago as its foreign policy priority area number one.


12 April 2007

Russian government takes on presence at Spitsbergen archipelago.
According to the new site B-port.com, the federal government now considers to establish a state commission, which is to deal with Russian activities in the area.


4 April 2007

Arctic ice layers quickly getting thinner.
A new NASA study has found that in 2005 the Arctic replaced very little of the thick sea ice it normally loses and replenishes each year. Replenishment of this thick, perennial sea ice each year is essential to the maintenance and stability of the Arctic summer ice cover.


30 March 2007

Norway turned down compensation claim from Russian company Trust Arktikugol operating on the Spitsbergen archipelago.
The company raised a demand for compensation after Norwegian authorities recently turned major land areas on the island into natural parks.


29 March 2007

Spitsbergen getting hotter.
The average March temperature in the town of Longyearbyen totalled 5,8 centigrades, which is as much as ten degrees higher than the normal.


1 March 2007

Launch day International Polar Year.
The Official Opening Ceremony takes place in Paris at 11am local time.
IPY launch events around the world can be viewed live at the Arctic portal.


29 March 2007

Prosecutors want suspended sentence for ”Elektron” captain.
State prosecutors in the case against Valerii Yarantsev, captain of the “Elektron” trawler, demand a three-year suspended sentence. Mr. Yarantsev is charged illegal fishing and with the kidnapping of two Norwegian Coast Guard inspectors in late fall 2005.

23 February 2007

Norwegian defence ready to strengthen presence in the High North.
We should remember that the potential challenges in the North are our own. We can not necessary expect assistance from allied in questions regarding the Spitsbergen and the disputed zone with Russia, Ms. Strom-Erichsen maintained. She confirmed that Norway will strengthen its military presence in the North, because this will be “an important political signal for the promotion of our long-term national interests and our international commitments”, she said.

Verdict in Elektron-case coming up.
A court in Murmansk has restarted hearings in the case against Valerii Yarantsev, the captain of the trawler “Elektron”. Captain Yarantsev is charged with illegal fishing and for the kidnapping of two Norwegian coast guard inspectors.


19 February 2007

Climate change: scientists warn it may be too late to save the ice caps.
The warning appears in a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which assesses the likely impacts of global warming and will be published in April.


13 February 2007

Norwegian fish industry wants more control in the Spitsbergen waters.
The Norwegian Coast Guard has since 2001 issued more than 1000 warnings to Russian trawlers fishing in the protection zone around Spitsbergen. The Russian trawlers however ignore the warnings. Now representatives of the Norwegian fish industry propose new measure how to deal with illegal fishing in the area.


9 February 2007

'Doomsday' vault design unveiled.
The final design for a "doomsday" vault that will house seeds from all known varieties of food crops has been unveiled by the Norwegian government.
The Global Crop Diversity Trust


8 February 2007

CASE 10 Geological Expedition 2007 can be watched by website.
Circum-Arctic Structural Events is organized by Dr. Karsten Piepjohn.


7 February 2007

Former Russian ambassador accuses Norway of “Arctic expansion”.
He disputes Norway’s right to strengthen control over offshore resources around the Spitsbergen archipelago.


4 February 2007

Youth IPY launch activities.
If you want to get involved in International Polar Year right from the start now is your chance!! The IPY Youth Steering Committee is asking young people from around the world.
IPY Youth


3 February 2007

Norway drops case against ”Elektron”-captain.
The Norwegian police has decided not to charge Valerii Yarantsev, captain of the trawler “Elektron”. The reason is that the captain already is charged by a Russian court.

11 January 2007

”Elektron”-captain runs for a position in Murmansk politics.
Elections to the Murmansk regional parliament, the Duma, will take place 11 March this year. The regional parliament elections are the highest-level elections in the Russian regions after President Vladimir Putin in 2005 abolished governor’s elections.


9 January 2007

Head of Norwegian Petroleum Directorate believes in oil around Spitsbergen.
Mr. Berge believes Norway has good chances of getting recognition for its claim for the Spitsbergen shelf. If the UN Convention gives Norway sovereignty over the area, the Norwegian shelf will be enlarged with 250,000 square kilometers.


8 January 2007

Global agriculture seeds preserved in Arctic vault.
The Directorate of Public Construction and Property – Statsbygg - presents drawings for a unique Global Arctic seed vault, which is to be built on Spitsbergen.


20 December 2006

The walrus population is growing at Spitsbergen.
Personnel from the Norwegian Polar Institute conclude the population is about 2500 walruses at Svalbard, and the population is growing.


28 November 2006

Norwegian Supreme Court: Norway has sovereignty in the Spitsbergen zone.
A Spanish trawler company claimed that Norway in 1977 did not have right to establish the zone and that therefore also is not entitled to detain vessels in the area.


21 November 2006

Unequipped foreigners deported from Spitsbergen.
Two Bulgarians who travelled to Spitsbergen were deported from the island and sent back to their home country last weekend.


16 November 2006

Mars Science Laboratory Shakedown in the High Arctic.
Members of the AMASE team (AMASE stands for Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition) went to test out instruments similar to those that will fly on an upcoming mission to Mars.


15 November 2006

True Polar Wander.
By analyzing the magnetic composition of ancient sediments found in the remote Norwegian archipelago of Spitsbergen, Princeton University's Adam Maloof has lent credence to a 140-year-old theory regarding the way the Earth might restore its own balance if an unequal distribution of weight ever developed in its interior or on its surface.


2 November 2006

Barentsburg - Major coal depot fire under control.
A fire in a gigantic depot for coal and stone in the Russian settlement Barentsburg at Svalbard is now under control.

1 November 2006

Barentsburg - Major coal depot fire.
Smoldering coal waste on remote Arctic islands could threaten of Russian settlement.


23 October 2006

Russian scientists found Willem Barents’s ship.
Dutch experts verify that fragments found at the Novaja Zemlja coast originate from the ship of Willem Barents, who found the Northern Route 400 years ago.


17 October 2006

Russian professor calls for more focus on Spitsbergen.
Mr. Tarasov participated at a research conference on the Spitsbergen archipelago in Murmansk.


5 October 2006

Promises of the largest pliosaur ever discovered.
The monster from the North.


25 September 2006

True North, Michelle's new film, begins filming this week.
The first phase of the filming will take place over about four weeks at Bjonapynten, Von Postbreen, and Sveabreen.


21 September 2006

Owner of detained Russian trawler to sue Norway.
Russian officials have consistently claimed that under a 1920 agreement signed by 48 countries, including Russia, they have equal fishing rights near the Spitsbergen Archipelago.


19 September 2006

Coast Guard in Russian court.
The trial of the rogue Russian trawler Elektron has resumed, with five Norwegian officials testifying against its captain.


14 September 2006

Recovery of the largest Spitsbergen ichthyosaur skeleton.
From a Middle Triassic coastal exposure at Sauriedalen.


13 September 2006

Earlier breakup of the Arctic sea ice.
Warming Climate May Put Chill on Arctic Polar Bear Population.


1-4 September 2006

Top of the world chess.
Chess Festival Spitsbergen 2006.


31 August 2006

Barentsburg could be one of the most eco-friendly towns in the world.
The Russian state wants to establish a power plant with natural gas as energy resource without any air pollution.


29 August 2006

Commemoration of Opera-fjell accident.
10 years after worst air-plane crash in Norway's history.


7 August 2006

Bottle reply after 40 years.
Bjørn Magne Moen from Halten got a surprise reply from arctic Svalbard, 40 years after sending off a long-forgotten bottle.


9 August 2006

Discovered new island at Spitsbergen.
Finn Isaksen, who discovered a new island at Spitsbergen, wants to name the new island after himself.


31 July 2006

Spanish fish industry accuses Norway for focus on oil.
Norwegian oil and gas interests are the actual reason why Norway is hitting harder on Spanish trawlers in the Barents Sea.


21 July 2006

Rare whale visits Svalbard.
A Greenland, or bowhead, whale suddenly surfaced right near the old pier in Longyearbyen on Wednesday. The species generally is believed to be nearly extinct.


11 July 2006

Polar bear chased from airport.
The polar bear, probably weighing around 400 kilos, didn't appear aggressive and was initially spotted by a local resident. The bear was lying just outside the airport's fence at the end of the runway Monday afternoon.


16 June 2006

Norway wants control over Spitsbergen offshore resources.
The Norwegian position is disputed by several countries, which believe that the waters outside Spitsbergen have to be managed like the rest of the Spitsbergen archipelago. The Spitsbergen Treaty of 1920 lays down the principle of non-discrimination in matters of natural resources exploration.


1 June 2006

Arctic's tropical past uncovered.
Fifty-five million years ago the North Pole was an ice-free zone with tropical temperatures, according to research.


10 May 2006

New island discovered at Spitsbergen.
In 2004, Alex Hartley from the United Kingdom discovered an unknown tiny island at the Spitsbergen archipelago. He has now applied Norwegian authorities for sovereignity over the island.
Excerpt from the journal of crew member Alex Hartley...


April 2006

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco will visit Spitsbergen.
HSH Prince Albert II wants to pay a tribute to His great-great-grandfather, Prince Albert 1st, who had explored these ice areas at the beginning of the last century.


20 February 2006

Agreement on border between Greenland and Spitsbergen.
Some analytics believe the Norwegian-Danish deal could positively influence ongoing negotiations on the Norwegian-Russian disputed zone in the Barents Sea.


12 January 2006

'Doomsday' seed bank to be built.
The Norwegian government will hollow out a cave on the ice-bound island of Spitsbergen to hold the seed bank.


15 November 2006

Norway considers reopening of “Elektron” case.
The court case against him started in Murmansk on 19 October. Mr. Yarantsev maintains that Norwegian sovereignty in the Spitsbergen waters in not internationally acknowledged, and that the country therefore is not entitled to have fishery control in the area.

13 November 2006

Norwegian politicians want Russian pirate trawlers out of Norwegian waters .
They propose to block Russian pirate trawlers access from Norwegian waters.

15 June 2006

The Elektron trial started.
Russian trawler captain denies guilt in scandal with Norway, supporters demand independent trial.

22 March 2006

Pirate or hero?

17 February 2006

Russian, Norwegian foreign ministers to meet in Moscow.
A number of topical bilateral issues will be discussed in the traditionally open spirit of Russian and Norwegian contacts.

11 January 2006

Fines and confiscations for Russian vessels.
Arctic Waters and Arctic Debate Getting Warmer.

9 December 2005

Fines and confiscations for Russian vessels.
Russian trawlers told to observe Norwegian law in Spitsbergen zone.

26 October 2005

Fines and confiscations for Russian vessels.
The vessels had been fishing in Norwegian territorial waters without sending the mandatory notification to the Directorate of Fisheries.


25 November 2005

Nowegian state grants extra funding to Spitsbergen coal company.
Store Norske will get reduced taxes of 100 million NOK this year.

September 2005

Dutch / Australian SteamExfire operates at Svea Nord.
The Steamexfire is a device that produces a mixture of combustion products with water (steam) vapour with a minimum content of oxygen at a temperature of approx. 80 to 90 degrees Celsius. In simple words, it's a generator that produces very large quantities of inert gas.

August 2005

Coal fire at Svea Nord.
Once started, a coal seam can continue for years.

1 August 2005

Fire in Spitsbergen mine.
About one kilometer of the mine is on fire.


13 April 2005

Extreme golfers tee off in Arctic.
Armed guards will protect the golfers from roaming polar bears.

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