Dead whales washing up on the coast of Spitsbergen could boost tourism, according to the Norwegian Institute for Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO). Currently, on Svalbard, the carcasses of dead whales are towed and dumped into the sea, while they could be used to increase the tourist appeal of Norway's northernmost territory, says the institute's director, Bjørn Franzén.
Dead whales attract many polar bears – these animals can eat one carcass for several months. In turn, tourists from cruise ships sailing past the archipelago enjoy watching the bears, Interfax writes, citing Norwegian media. For example, in 2017, a dead bowhead whale washed up on the coast of Wrangel Island and about 200 polar bears gathered there.
The scientist appealed to the authorities with a proposal to stop throwing away whale carcasses and leave them for polar bears. All that remains is to choose a suitable place on one of the islands of the archipelago so that cruise ship passengers have the opportunity to observe the bears.
The Svalbard archipelago legally belongs to Norway, but according to the terms of the Svalbard Treaty concluded in Paris in 1920, Russia and Norway have equal rights to economic activity in this territory.
Source: travel.ru
