Andrea Zelinski
There is barely any human population or infrastructure in Svalbard. What is there is wildlife. Walruses, seals, reindeer and, of course, polar bears are a big draw for expedition sailings there.
To protect that wildlife, the Norwegian government is implementing new restrictions in Svalbard that will push expedition ships further away from those animals. The regulations will require that those ships carry fewer passengers and visit fewer ports, reshaping how expedition cruise ships will operate there. The new rules go into effect Jan. 1, 2025.
"The main reason many people want to see Svalbard is for the polar bears, which are extremely difficult to see at the best of times but will be even harder now," said Claire Maguire, an expedition-focused agent who owns Fort Lauderdale-based Cruise Planners franchise Island Girl Travel and Vacations.
When it comes to the bears, the new regulations will require ships keep a distance of 300 to 500 meters from polar bears (currently, the Association of Artic Expedition Cruise Operators guidelines specify no closer than 200 meters with an expedition ship). For walruses, the regulations would require keeping a minimum of 150 meters from haul sites.
But a bigger change pertains to ship sizes. The new regulations specify that only ships carrying a maximum of 200 guests can visit protected areas of Svalbard, like its national parks and nature preserves.
That change will require expedition lines to re-evaluate which ships they send to Svalbard. For instance, just two ships in the rebranded HX fleet (the Fram and Spitsbergen) fit the 200-guests-and-under criteria. The 500-passenger Maud also sails there, visiting West Spitsbergen as part of two longer Arctic expeditions that also sail to Iceland and Greenland.
Within protected areas and with smaller ships, landings for tourists will be limited to 43 specific sites. The AECO said that would put a severe strain on the remaining areas open for shore landings.
Karin Strand, HX's vice president of expedition development, said the line will adapt its itineraries where necessary but is disappointed and frustrated with the new regulations given that the AECO and the expedition industry offered other solutions.
"The recently announced measures will present new challenges in the area. Our team of expedition experts await further updates from AECO, and we will work together to adapt our itineraries where necessary," Strand said.
Advisor Maguire said she was OK with the changes.
"With the popularity of expedition cruising growing, and more and more companies vying for a share of the pie, I believe that implementing regulations before things get out of control is crucial and welcome," she said.