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.
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
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.
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
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
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.