Prague, July 13 (CTK) – Norwegian authorities have fined a Czech expedition that survived a polar bear’s attack earlier this year, for failing to take measures to prevent the attack, daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) writes yesterday, citing the Local.no server.
Attacked by a bear during their research stay on the Svalbard archipelago in March, the Czechs successfully defended themselves against the predator, which was eventually shot down by local hunters.
Afterwards, however, the Norwegian authorities fined the Czech team 10,000 Norwegian crowns, which is an equivalent of 30,000 Czech crowns, for not having taken adequate measures in advance.
The authorities said the Czechs violated the rules by not having hired a guard to accompany them, by building an imperfect enclosure around their base and lacking a device for polar bear monitoring, MfD writes.
This is reportedly the first case when this type of fine was imposed, it adds.
($1=24.238 crowns)
