Fined for flying a drone in a national park in Svalbard
A visitor has been fined NOK 12,000 for flying a drone in a national park in Svalbard. The fine has been accepted.
he Governor's field inspectors discovered that a visitor had flown a drone in Trinityhamna in Magdalenefjorden, which is located in Northwest Spitsbergen National Park, in June 2026.
Video from the drone footage was shared on social media. The visitor was issued a fine of NOK 12,000 and the drone was confiscated for violating the regulations on national parks and nature reserves in Svalbard § 6a. The fine has been accepted.
From 1 January 2025, the regulations on national parks and nature reserves in Svalbard were amended, and a ban was introduced on the use of, among other things, drones in protected areas in Svalbard. The purpose is to protect vulnerable wildlife, and to seek to achieve Svalbard's strict environmental goals.
For purposes other than hobbies and leisure, the Governor may grant permission for the use of, among other things, drones.