Protected areas in Svalbard
The nature conservation areas in Svalbard are intended to protect vulnerable and endangered habitats and preserve areas of international, national and regional value. The government and the Storting set the framework for the protection of nature in Norway. In Svalbard, the protection processes are carried out by the Governor based on the Svalbard Environmental Act.
There are seven national parks, 21 nature reserves and one geotopic conservation area in Svalbard. The conservation areas account for approximately 65% of the land area and 84% of the territorial waters.
The management authority for the nature conservation areas in Svalbard is vested in the Governor, who shall manage the nature conservation areas and exercise authority in accordance with the conservation regulations. The conservation regulations for each protected area set the framework for what is and is not permitted, and what exemptions may be granted. The Governor shall report, or if necessary, report, violations of provisions in the conservation regulations, and prepare management plans.
The conservation regulations allow for a certain amount of discretion. In the practical and daily management of the protected areas, there is therefore a need for management plans that elaborate on and specify the regulations. A management plan should ensure uniform management of the protected area by providing specific guidelines for use, information, maintenance and case management. The management plans should also help to avoid random individual decisions that could be detrimental to the conservation values.
There are seven national parks in Svalbard:
• South Spitsbergen National Park
• Northwest Spitsbergen National Park
• Forlandet National Park
• Van Mijenfjorden National Park
• Nordre Isfjorden National Park
• Sassen-Bünsow Land National Park
• Indre Wijdefjorden National Park
These can be found in the Svalbard map.
There are 21 larger and smaller nature reserves on Svalbard, including nature reserves for birds.
Along the west coast of Svalbard there are 16 nature reserves with protection of nesting areas for birds as a conservation purpose. There is a traffic ban here in the period 15 May - 15 August.
An overview of all nature reserves can be found in the Svalbard map.
The Festningen geotop protection area is located at the far end of Grønfjorden at the mouth of Isfjorden. In the well-known Festningsprofile there is a geological layer series that has been deposited over several hundred million years. On the east side of Festningsodden, fossil footprints of a herbivorous dinosaur of the species Iguanodon have been found.
An overview of the Festningen geotop protection area can be found in the Svalbard map.