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The world's northernmost alternative newspaper Vol. 8, Issue 23 August 23, 2016 www.icepeople.net 'Longyearbyen at its best:' Modern tragedies, triumphs part of traditional tributes during Syttende Mai celebration Page 7

“ To believe that the governor can rescue people out, regardless of circumstances, is wrong. There is no guarantee for that. - Per Andreassen, police lieutenant governor's office ”

HELENE RENATE HVEDDING A mother polar bear and her cub, left, feed on garbage outside a cabin at Revnset. At right, the mother approaches the kitchen window of the cabin. Late update: 12 apartments vacated again due to building, infrastructure damage. FUR-FILLED WEEKEND icepeople.net Mother polar bear and cub near town trap couple in cabin, force end to archaeological excavation By MARK SABBATINI weekend with her significant other at their Friday before last, forcing the couple to hastily Editor cabin. retreat indoors and stay there for four days as Helene Renate Hvedding says the uninvit- A mother polar bear and her cub showed the bears lingered to feast on garbage and any- ed guests weren’t exactly unwelcome, even if up as the couple was preparing to light a char- thing else they could find that was edible. they seriously disrupted plans to spend a coal grill outside their cabin at Revneset the See VISITORS, page 4 We're in a Depression 16 percent drop of Svalbard's economic activity in 2015 fueled by 40 percent drop in mining, transport By MARK SABBATINI Sales job: World's northernmost call Editor A depression is defined as a 10 percent center the latest "alternative" business drop in economic activity or a downturn lasting Page 7 more than two years. Svalbard has already blown through the first qualification with a 15.8 storage, activity, according to Statistics percent drop in activity in 2015 and stands a . KJERSTiN ASKHOLT / SYSSELMANNEN good chance of meeting the second this year. But despite the sharp downturn, employ- The downturn was caused by a 39 percent ment in the archipelago actually rose one per- An "L.A. crime reporter"POLE POSITION busts the LOGISTICS FBI for A Pole Positionleaving behind Logistics a flip-flop worker on unloads foreign bags soil. off drop in mining-related activity, which in turn cent compared to 2014 due largely to increased MAKSYM BOREIKO fueled a 43.1 percent drop in transportation and a cruise ship in , bringing together See SLUMP, page 8 the best- and worst-performing industries today.

Red tide See REALITY, All-star page 4 sports debuts 'I'm already dead' TV or not TV? Whoa, there's Do you prefer Svalbard's Mock the BBC tons of water large or small fossils get a docu-soap Sun. on Mars balls? funeral at Kulturhuset Page 2 Page 3 Page 5 Page 12

https://us- mg6.mail.yahoo.c om/neo/ launch?.rand=epm v8hf4ja5bp# Page 2 August 23, 2016

Who's to blame and how For those not ready to accept a sunset... to express your wrath

Editor Mark Sabbatini

Bag lady Marion Prudhon

Principal of principles Kristan Hutchison

Psychiatrist Irene Gallion Accomplice Get some real dirt on icepeople! Jeff Newsom Our global headquarters available for rent during the March 20 eclipse! Sleeps three on actual Mailing address furnishings (double bed and sofa), plus a few can squeeze in on the floor. Washing machine, turbo Icepeople wi-fi and about a 5-10 minute walk to most places. Plus, you'll be helping provide our pitiful little Vei 210 -2- 13 newspaper with desperately needed funds. Contact [email protected] for details. Longyearbyen, Svalbard WITEK KASZKIN 9170 The sun circles endlessly above the horizon – if just barely at times – in this 24-hour time-lapse Norway video (tinyurl.com/j7a2ybp) filmed at the Polish Polar Station at Hornsund. The first sunset in Longyearbyen after the three-and-a-half month polar summer is at 12:12 a.m. Thursday. The sun Telephone will rise again at 1:49 a.m. The last sunset before the polar night is at 1:32 p.m. Oct. 25. PRIVATE Norway: +47 41 51 46 38 U.S. +1 (970) 673-4472

E-mail Icesheet [email protected] Random bits of the week's weirdness: Web site The Mars Curiosity Rover has returned to www.icepeople.net Svalbard and this time you're not just allowed to drive it, but thoroughly wreck the vehicle Icepeople is published weekly (or thereabouts) and the pristine landscape – all for free. The on Tuesdays (or thereabouts), with printed rover was tested extensively here before being copies available free on a limited basis in sent into space because apparently we're as Longyearbyen. Additional printed copies are close to being on another planet as it gets on available locally and by mail upon request. Earth. Only the high and mighty types at Charges are on an "at cost" basis. NASA have had access to the remote controlled Briefly steering controls since the vehicle landed on the Copyright stuff red planet four years ago, but some of their geek squad has recently figured out to make NASA Cruising: Getting out of Original contents of this publication can be them simple enough for anyone with a desktop If only Matt Damon had a smartphone: He'd reproduced for non-commercial purposes free browser or smartphone. They also had to sim- have found water and other stuff in seconds. danger, but into 'death?' plify the optics, so it might appear you're of charge if Icepeople is credited as the Another cruise season is about to embark playing a Mars Curiosity Game that's essen- new boat-shaped U.S. “theme park” in hillbilly source. The original writers, photographers full speed ahead in Svalbard, but the smiles of tially an endless runner, but given how para- country that helpfully explains how the bears Mainland town claims to be top and other contributors retain their rights to all those greeting passengers aren't being shared noid pilots will be if you're taking off at the survived on Noah's Ark. "Polar bears do not published works. by a lot of industry executives these days. per-person telethon giver, a title time you never know. Only way to find out is need to live in a cold climate," a placard next They took a blow last month when Britain to take a test drive at tinyurl.com/hjhdjf7… a display of the species declares, "Their spe- held by Longyearbyen for years issued a warning telling travelers cruising here Corrections policy Speaking of being on another planet, as scien- cial adaptations are well suited for an icy cli- is too dangerous. That warning may be re- tists here and elsewhere in the Arctic ponder mate, but many warm-weather zoos house When we screw up you'll know about it – on the effect our warming planet is having on po- polar bears. So even if polar bears were on the the front page. One of the big complaints lar bears – such as whether it means more of Ark, there would not have been a need to keep about newspapers is they tend to bury them will wander toward settlements like last them cool." We're not sure what they are on corrections and clarifications deep inside week – it turns out they're pursuing a riddle al- board, but obviously it wasn't the kangaroos be- fair number of folks believe kangaroos reached Austrlia where few people who read the original article ready answered 6,000 years ago (give or take a fore they were clever enough afterward to reach on rafts made of vegetation see them. If we need to fix something, an alert few generations). So says the Ark Encounter, a Australia on rafts made of vegetation. SYSSELMANNEN box on the front page will state what story is in error and where the full correction is printed. http://www.bbcnorge.com/video/?v=549388 Submitting material

Letters, columns, photos and other material are welcome, but we can't offer pay for published items since nobody here is getting paid at the moment. Submissions in electronic form (text, Word documents, JPEGs, etc.) are highly preferred, although typing and/or scanning of items will be considered on a per- case basis. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, clarity, accuracy, libel August 23, 2016 Page 3

HEADLINES STOLEN FROM SVALBARDPOSTEN VERDENS NORDLIGSTE AVIS

Russians waited 12 hours to report fatal shooting of bear A polar bear killed by a Russian researcher at on Aug. 9 was shot from a distance of about 130 meters, accord- ing to The . Scientists spotted the two-year-old female bear at that distance from their tent camp, with one of the researchers firing a warning shot with a flare gun before another researcher fired two shots with a rifle. "They were fired in quick succes- sion," said Svalbard Lt. Gov. Berit Sagfossen. KSAT SVALBARD TURN The bear was shot at about 10 p.m., but the Runners will try to reach the giant balls at the Svalbard Satellite Station, left, during the first Svalbard governor's office was first notified about 12 Spacerun on Saturday. At right, locals hope their familiarity of the football field at Svalbardhallen – hours later. "Such incidents should be imme- although snow probably won't be present – will help when they play retired all-stars Thursday. diately reported to the governor," Sagfossen said. All six scientists at the camp will be part of an investigation to determine if the shoot- ing was justified, according to the governor's office. The incident is the fourth death of a Two brash balls polar bear in Svalbard this year due to human encounters. A Finnish ski expedition shot a First-ever Svalbard Spacerun, The match starts at 6 p.m. Thursday on the bear at Verlegenhuken in April on the north- football field at Svalbardhallen and will feature ernmost tip of , which the gover- locals vs. Drillos football match two 20-minute halves. The all-stars will also of- nor ruled was self-defense. A female bear was heat up chilly end of summer fer training for youths after the match. shot in June at the Austfjordnes trapping sta- The visiting players are Jan Åge Fjørtoft, tion and her cub had to be euthanized because By MARK SABBATINI Vidar Riseth, Erlend Johnsen and Gunnar experts concluded it would not survive with- Editor Halle. out its mother. The shooter was fined 20,000 For the athletes, it's kind of a decision Those participating in the Svalbard kroner for negligence because he didn't know about playing stars or seeing them. Spacerun won't actually reach space or see any what ammunition was loaded, thinking he was Local football players will test their skills stars (including the sun if forecasts for cloudy was firing a rubber bullet at the mother bear against a team of retired Norwegian all-stars on skies hold up), but their heads may be feeling and firing a lethal shot instead. Thursday and runners of all abilities will be the like they're in the cosmos after completing the biggest ballers of all during the Svalbard steep uphill course. The race begins at Bird trapped in fishnet freed, Spacerun on Saturday. Both events are taking Taubanesentralen (197 meters above sea level) but prompts public warning place for the first time. and ends about eight kilometers longer at An eider that got trapped in a fishing net The Svalbard Turn vs. Drillos match will KSAT (459 meters). attached to land near the coal pier Saturday feature a team of local footballers that's never The untimed class will begin at 6 p.m. Sat- was set free after an observer called the gover- practiced together against four former prized urday. The timed class will begin at 7 p.m., nor's office, which issued a statement urging prized pros and the legendary Norwegian foot- with the top men's and women's finishers re- locals to be careful where they put their fish- ball manager known as Drillos. But Vidar Ar- ceiving a Spacerun-themed lithography from ing gear. "The bird was alive and trying to nesen, head of the local football team, said he's local artist Olaf Storrø. free itself," said Paul Lutnæs, a wildlife advi- predicting it will be a close match. As with all outdoor Svalbard races, there sor to the governor. "We just got caught it in "We are on the home field and they just are certain eccentricities in the official details the net and cut it loose. It was in fine shape have four players, so they have to borrow play- ("polar bear protection along the trail," it is not and flapped away. Fortunately it was rescued ers from us," he said. allowed to bring a dog," etc.). There will be in time." The net was unmarked and confis- Arnesen said a member of Drillos inquired water stations along the course and transporta- cated by officials. Lutnæs said nets need to be about a month ago about a match as a promo- tion back to the starting line. labeled with named and addresses, they tional event for a match the all-stars will play Participants will also get a chance to see should not be stored near areas with large bird against Germany next week. He said the locals the inside of the antenna facility, which is nor- populations, and people need to check them have plenty of amateur playing experience, just mally closed to the public, with the awards cer- frequently and free any trapped wildlife. not together. emony and food sales planned there. Weather forecast for Longyearbyen

Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Cloudy. NE winds to 25 km/h. Partly cloudy. Variable winds Cloudy. SE winds to 39 km/h. Cloudy. E winds to 29 km/h. High 7C (4C wind chill), low to 35 km/h. High 5C (2C wind High 4C (0C wind chill), low High 4C (1C wind chill), low 0C (-4C wind chill). chill), low 2C (-2C wind chill). 1C (-4C wind chill). -1C (-4C wind chill). Sunset: 12:12a; sunrise: 24-hour daylight 1:14a; sunset: 11:46p Sunrise: 2:15a; sunset: 11:26p Sunrise: 2:34a; sunset: 11:10p Extended forecast: Sunday, cloudy, 5C (1C), 1C (-4C), light 20:06h; Monday, rain, 3C (-1C), 1C (-4C), light 19:38h; Tuesday, cloudy, 2C (-1C), 1C (-2C), light 19:13h; Wednesday, cloudy, 4C (0C), 0C (-3C), light 18:50h; Data provided by Storm.no Turning down the thermostat Page 4 August 23, 2016 among the simplest, most useful tips at conservation conference

ELISABETH KADDEN A mother polar bear and her cubs inspect an archaeological site at the abandoned mining settlement of Advent City during a four-day visit this month. Bears binge for four days VISITORS, from page 1 City. Between visits to Hvedding's cabin, the unusual territory and eating unusual foodstuffs But while the bears damaged the barbecue bears intruded on the archaeological site and ranging from bird eggs to kelp, possibly due to area and left things bit disheveled before they chewed on equipment after the participants record-low level of sea ice during the winter departed, Hvedding said the weekend wasn’t were forced to flee. and spring that greatly limited hunting options. scary or unpleasant. Frigga Kruse, a University of Groningen Hvedding said she believes hunger may be "When you feel secure it’s just fun to see researcher leading the project, told Svalbard- driving bear toward cabin areas, and she and them," said Hvedding, who posted two videos posten they finally decided to pack up the expe- her neighbors are keeping each other updated of the bears rummaging outside the cabin on dition. about any possibly sightings. her Facebook page, in an interview with NRK "It is not possible for us to continue now, "The female bear was a little thin and on Sunday afternoon. "The grill does not mean it's not safe," she said, adding their field work seemed hungry," she said. "The cub was in much in the larger picture. I’m standing looking was cut short by about a week. good shape and continuing to get enough milk at the bears right now. They are taking a siesta The Governor of Svalbard monitored the from its mother." just up the hillside a few hundred meters away. bears during their visit, but opted not to chase The mother bear poked around the exterior They have been doing that for a couple of them from the area unless they wandered closer of the cabin at times, coming into close eye hours." to Longyearbyen. They moved further north on contact with Hvedding at one point, but she The bears' visit to the area across the chan- Tuesday, allowing the humans held captive said there was no indication it was trying to nel from Longyearbyen was far more disruptive there to depart. break in. for participants of an archaeological excavation Researchers and tour guides are reporting There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net at the abandoned mining settlement of Advent sightings this summer of bears wandering into for the complete story. Worth 1,078 words Expressive and enigmatic photos of is an invaluable experience at the lowest Svalbard by Nora Grøndal. prices in Longyearbyen! Both our guests and staff are serious lovers of the Arctic from a 120 X 80 cm on aluminum or acrylic, with wide range of backgrounds and nationalities anti-contact wall fixtures - 3,200 kroner who come together as a community in what used to be the "millionaires' mansion" for the Small floating table/shelf images - 350 kroner most experienced miners. Get expedition tips Arts&Crafts Center at Galleri Svalbard. from people well-familiar with the terrain during our free communal breakfast, step See Nora's portfolio at www.nora.heime.net Open 11-17 daily 95 10 49 45 outside and put your skis on in the shadow of a glacier, and share your adventures at the end of the day in our comfortable lounges and self-catering kitchen. Then sleep comfortably in our single, double and four- Landslide warning bed rooms before the next day's adventure. issued to hikers A Longyearbyen Community recalls that everyone is responsible for their own safety out and about.

+47 79 02 57 16 • +47 900 303 21 These days there is a part landslides around, www.gjestehuset102.no so pay attention.

We ask you to pay special attention to the area north of sarcophagus (where the path toward sarcophagus - Lars Breen runs), here have big soil slid out in recent weeks. When masses slipping out it means that the permafrost thaws further down, which may cause new landslides. August 23, 2016 Page 5

ARILD VIVÅS / NORARK A coffin with a man from the whaling era of the 1600s and 1700s is brought to a helicopter after being removed from an eroding graveyard at Likneset. Fossil funeral Jørn Hurum says 11th annual hunt for prehistoric Coffins from Svalbard's biggest graveyard saved reptiles may be the last due to lack of 'what's next' from coastal erosion, offer clues to life in 1600s By MARK SABBATINI By MARK SABBATINI Editor Editor Contrary to what ever six-year-old thinks, sometimes it is possible The remote and harsh setting often made life very hard indeed, but to experience enough dinosaurs. also meant Mother Nature took great care with the dead after they sub- Jørn Hurum, bringing another 800 kilograms of prehistoric bones mitted to the elements. home after spending his 11th summer digging them up since 2004, says Until recently. that might finally be enough for a decent collection. The well-preserved remains of three men in coffins at Likneset It's not that washing the latest batch of bones will take two years. were removed from Svalbard's largest graveyard earlier this month and It's not like there's not fossils remaining on the western Spitsbergen hills are now in cold storage at Svalbard Museum. The graveyard is on a he's excavated. It's that, having collected so many new and existing coastal cliffside at Likneset on northwestern Spitsbergen, described as species, he's not sure how much more there still is to discover. the heartland of whaling in the archipelago during the 17th and 18th "I don't know if we're going up next year," he said after this year's centuries, but erosion had put the coffins in immanent danger of being dig ended earlier this month. "It's been 11 seasons now. We're kind of washed into the sea. out of ideas about where to go." "Previous studies have shown that it is whaler graves that can tell See HURUM page 6 See GRAVEYARD, page 6

There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net for the complete story.

JØRN HURUM ARILD VIVÅS / NORARK Students and researchers remove small fossils from prehistoric marine The complete skeleton of a man "with dark blond hair on a bed of sawdust" animals on Marimerfjellet as part of a project that started in 2004. lies in coffin at Likneset. The coffin was removed to save it from erosion. Page 6 August 23, 2016

Likneset is the largest burial grounds in Svalbard located in Smeerenburgfjorden which is considered the heartland of whaling on Svalbard. Dutch, English, and Denmark-Norway drifted industrial whaling here at 16-1700 century. Arild Skjæveland Vivås There have been at least 230 graves here. The cemetery is locat- ed on a low hill about 5 m with a steep and active erosion edge down towards the sea in V. Neset is open to facing Smeerenburgfjorden, which at times is very harsh. There were archaeological investiga- tions in 1985, 1986, 1989 and 1990. Monitoring was established 01/09/1998 to monitor the development of erosion along the beach ridge.

Bad weather with heavy rain and polar bear visits in the field prevented us from getting fully under way before the day 3. ACHIM REISDORF SYSSELMANNEN . First morning we were visited by a lean and hungry polar bear Tommy Wensaas and Patrick Druckenmiller drag bags full of fossils Snorre Haukalid, a cultural heritage advisor for The Governor of in Sallyhamna. Next morning bear had wandered to the excavation destined for the Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo. Svalbard, examines a grave on the edge of a cliffside at Likneset. field fårt on Likneset and prevented us from going ashore. We were nicely have to keep your distance and let nature take its course. When we returned after 4 hours bear had wandered on. The last dino dig? Coffins cornered Having walked around Likneset in search of loose rock to put on tarpaulins and canvas, we clearly saw that both the cemetery and a MARK SABBATINI / ICEPEOPLE HURUM, from page 1 GRAVEYARD, from page 1 large area around is cleaned of any portable stone. At the nearest The expeditions by Hurum, a paleontologist the Natural History the most exciting stories," wrote Arild Skjæveland Vivås, an archeolo- landing site for small boats on Likneset and sheltered by widely, we Museum at the University of Oslo, and a team of assistants that has re- gist for Norark, in a blog about the project. "In the Arctic the climate is found an active area with clay pipe until gent, pieces of pottery and mained largely consistent over the years have attracted global attention cold and dry, and where the tombs were built on top of permafrost and charcoal. It is clear that the crew rowed ashore to perform burials on to what might be called clever marketing. A record-size marine creature have been frozen most of the year, which has resulted in unique preser- Likneset have spent some time in the country. They must have made was given the name "Predator X," sponsor National Geographic titled vation conditions." up a makeshift camp where they have cooked, eaten, appeared and the long-term project "Sea Monsters of the North," and one summer's So while the wood on the first coffin removed was "soft and in relaxed with a pipe and two. dig was webcast 24/7 from multiple cameras. some places completely pulverized" despite appearing fresh, many traits oldest inscriptions apper to be from 1781. This year's excavation will lay claim to more "biggest" moments, in- of the person inside were immediately obvious. cluding the biggest bone bed ever dug and the possibility it will reveal "Under the coffin lid lay a complete skeleton with dark blond hair Reopening mines clues to Earth biggest mass extinction 252 million years ago, when 95 on a bed of sawdust," Vivås wrote. "We were somewhat surprised that percent of all life was wiped out. The fossils from the site, the removal there was not visibly preserved textiles. Earlier excavations at Likneset, of which began last year, are about 248 million years old and may show and elsewhere in the area have uncovered everything from socks to wigs which species were the first to recover and how they survived. and hats." Svalbard is an attractive monster hunting ground for such species is The preservation of such items for such a long period is considered because it is one of the few areas they're found, and are often far more largely unique to Svalbard and may offer clues to life throughout Europe complete and preserved than elsewhere. Among this year's individual during that era, according to project and museum officials. The Mac Hack finds, Hurum said, is a large collection of omphalosaurus, a variety of There are at least 230 graves at Likneset, which was frequented by the ichthyosaurs about which little is known. Dutch, English, Norwegian and other whalers. There were four archaeo- We impishly dissect, gleefully crush and sadistically drown "There are just a few bones found a few other places in the world logical investigations at the site between 1985 and 1990, and erosion on Macintoshes. But since not many people are willing to pay and now we have a bone bed full of it," he said. the five-meter-high cliffside has been monitored since 1998. for that, we also repair, upgrade, disinfect Macs, and offer Even if this is the last large fossil dig, Hurum said he still plans to Most of the whalers apparently died of scurvy due to poor nutrition. spare cables, batteries and other parts – cheap! return to Svalbard in some capacity, whether it's next year or beyond. While the modern visitors didn't face that problem, they did have to cope "I know I will be back, but I don't think it's going to be a big exca- with some of the other deadly elements such as polar bears and haz- Got a truly dead machine? Let us have "fun" with it! vation," he said. "It might be a year for prospecting." ardous weather. (Seriously, the parts can help others and keep our prices low.) There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net for the complete story. There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net for the complete story. Call Mark at 4151 4638 or e-mail [email protected]

BITTEN BOLVIG HANSEN ARILD VIVÅS / NORARK A cartoon celebrates the health benefits of participating in the annual A polar bear wandering the beach at Liksenet forces participants of this fossils hunts that have taken place in Svalbard for more than a decade. month's coffin preservation expedition to delay their work for four hours. August 23, 2016 Page 7

MARK SABBATINI / ICEPEOPLE CStian Larsenold tests the calling system at Svalcom, which is scheduledcalling to begin telemarketing with about 10 employees at the beginning of September. World’s northernmost call center Berge said he plans to employ about 10 expand into other activities such as customer people during the first year and hopes to in- service and polling as the company’s reputation hopes to sell concept to locals, crease that to 15 to 20 people afterwards. improves. products throughout Norway The Norwegian government approved 50 “Everybody wants those projects,” he said. million kroner in development and incentive Berge and Johansen said they are hoping to By MARK SABBATINI funding last year to help lure small new busi- get more local applicants as they begin inter- Editor nesses to Longyearbyen, with a brewery, a views next week, but the response so far means To all the greenies in Norway: if your din- company selling premium-priced bottled water they are considering people from other areas – ner is interrupted by a phone call from someone from a glacier and an extreme-climate paint- as long as they speak Norwegian. selling magazines just remember they’re doing testing center among the companies that have “Two minutes ago I spoke to a girl work- a job that’s far more environmentally responsi- opened. ing at a call center in Belfast,” Johansen said. ble than coal mining in the country’s natural Given all the possibilities for a new busi- While people are willing to apply for just crown jewel. ness, why did Berge opt for a call center? about everything and anything to live and re- Besides, the callers supposedly reveling in “I’ve asked myself that a few times,” he main in Svalbard, the perception of telemarket- a workplace dominated by “prizes, pranks, admitted, noting it’s his first venture into the ing is obviously something less than esteemed. cookie-making (and) trips” are just making a industry and there have been difficulties setting Forty percent of Norway’s population is on a valuable offer snagged up by nearly 10 percent up a business originally scheduled to open in “no-call” register, primarily due to “annoying, of the people answering the phone. Or so the April. dubious and even illegal marketing methods,” bosses say. He initiated his efforts after meeting Dag according to Virke Hovedorganisasjonen, a Regardless of whether that pitch makes Harald Johansen, who’s been working in the in- multiindustry trade group, in an October 2015 you a “convert” or not, the world’s northern- dustry since 1996 and is now Svalcom’s mar- letter to the Norwegian government arguing most call center is about to become the first of keting manager. Johansen said telemarketing against toughening what the group called al- many pieces as Longyearbyen struggles to an- has good profit potential and he finds the un- ready stringent consumer protection measures. swer the question of how it will establish a fu- predictability of the work intriguing. Berge, posting on a local Facebook discus- ture economic base after the collapse of the “Imagine going to work every single day sion about the industry, urged residents to learn mining industry that sustained the town for the not knowing what the outcome is,” Johansen about the call center before forming any opin- past century. Store Norske is in the final stage said. ions about it. of laying off but 100 of the 400 employees it He also has experience with the downside “I think, if you have the chance, that you had in 2012, during the past few years, with af- of the industry, including serving as the chair- should come by and say hello and se how we filiated industries ranging from transportation man and CEO of Unicall AS, a company with really do our job in a call center in Norway,” he to cleaning services also affected. call centers in several European countries said. “Everyone that says “yes” to buy a prod- “My motivation for starting this was the which has had several subsidiaries in Norway uct gets an SMS after where they have to con- situation in Longyearbyen,” said Tor Kristian go bankrupt since 2011. firm. We take pride in what we do and never Berge, founder of Svalcom, which is tentatively Svalcom’s first contract is to sell magazine trick anyone to buy something they don’t scheduled to begin operations at the beginning subscriptions, Berge said. He said he expects to want.” of September. “It’s an opportunity offer people lure other telemarketing contracts during the There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net a different kind of job.” company’s initial operations, then potentially for the complete story. Page 8 August 23, 2016

STORE NORSKE The Nord Draco cargo ship docks at Svea in late July to begin the transport of 80,000 tons of coal from the mine. The coal is the last that will be shipped before operations are suspended this fall. The government is providing funding to main the mine for the next few years in the hop coal prices recover. Recovery from downturn expected in 2017 SLUMP, from page 1 near shutdown of all operations this fall. "We are quite vulnerable, but we have to activity in tourism and recreation, with tourism "I don't think they are down more than ex- have this hope and belief," he said. "From ev- surpassing mining as the biggest employer. pectations," said Longyearbyen Mayor Arild ery depression you get new ideas and lots of That may be a sign of Longyearbyen making a Olsen, referring to the economic production people with creativity." quick and drastic change from its century-long figures. He is also standing by his prediction Diversifying the town's economy is the pri- history as a coal mining one due to what the from a year ago that the economy will begin to mary emphasis of a revised "white paper" pub- agency described as a "rapid growth in part- recover by mid-2017 and the town will contin- lished by the Norwegian government earlier time jobs." ue a long-term growth trend. this year outlining policy goals for Svalbard. Also, the total includes all settlements, "If you look at Longyearbyen in the past 30 But while the government approved a 500 bil- which means gains in the Russian settlement of years, the last 10 to 15 has seen growth in high lion kroner bailout package for Store Norske (471 residents) due to its aggres- proportions," he said. last year – meaning operations have been large- sive tourism expansion may mean the figures The town's small population and lack of in- ly subsidized – it has made scant financial com- for Longyearbyen (2,144 residents) are lower dustrial diversity means it is more subject to mitments beyond a 50 million kroner economic than the overall picture. The agency's report sharp economic rises and drops than large stimulus package intended to improve infras- does not detail activity by settlement. mainland cities, said Lasse Hansen, a co-owner tructure and offer some small business incen- Local leaders said the slump was expected of Pole Position Logistics, a cargo and freight tives. and is likely to continue until at least the begin- company. But he said that also means the com- There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net ning of next year as Store Norske completes its munity will be able to adjust faster. for the complete story. icepeople

is now the first newspaper in Europe to be accepted as a full member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia. That means a whole new global audience will be looking to Svalbard – and what it might have to offer those who visit. Tell them what you have with our extremely affordable print and website advertising, designed either by you or by us. Contact [email protected] or 4151 4638 for details. August 23, 2016 Page 9

Volume 1, Issue 17 "Serving up the straight scoop on predatory vegans " svalbarddailyplanet.com

NORWEGIAN COAST GUARD Fishers aboard a Russian trawler are observed dumping fish through a hole in the side of the ship in a video filmed by the Norwegian Coast Guard. who want to see the sea ice before it vanishes. Britain’s Met officials. It was the first time TUESDAY Making a landmark trip this summer is the satellites were used to monitor surface "skin" Crystal Serenity, which is carrying 1,700 pas- temperatures during a total solar eclipse and the Russian trawler in Svalbard sengers and crew as it sails around the north satellite results were combined with a study of caught illegally dumping fish coast of Alaska and into the Northwestern Pas- one-minute observations of near-surface air sage on her voyage towards New York. It is the temperature from meteorological stations in A total of 230,000 kroner in fines has been first large cruise vessel to sail from the Pacific Britain. Detailed results of the study are expect- assessed against a Russian trawler and its cap- to the Atlantic via Arctic waters. That's unset- ed to be published in a future science journal. tain after it was caught illegally dumping fish in tling to the head of Norway's Hurtigruten ferry – The Hindu the fisheries protection zone around Svalbard, line, who without naming the ship said propor- according to the Norwegian Coast Guard. Rus- tions are wrong when a vessel has five to six sians have the right to fish inside the zone and times more passengers on board than the com- SATURDAY fishing rules common for both countries have munities they are visiting. "I strongly believe in been mutually agreed upon. Both countries also a big growth in cruise shipping in the Arctic," Glaciers turning into storage engage in efforts to fight fish discards, a said Daniel Skjeldam, but he is calling for in- areas for radioactive material widespread practice where fishers throw away ternational guidelines to limit the size of the Glaciers are punctured with small holes excessively small and cheap fishes or fishes vessels in northern waters. He said he will im- filled with what one would expect: meltwater, outside a vessel’s fishing quota, therefore rais- pose such limits on Hurtigruten vessels regard- thin films of mineral and organic dust, microor- ing questions about the accuracy of registered less, but those won't affect large ships carrying ganisms, and other particles. But an analysis of catches. However, Russia does not recognize up to 4,000 people increasingly docking in Hnbreen by Polish scientists reveals the holes the Norwegian inspectors’ right to exercise Longyearbyen and other northern Norwegian also contain a thin film of extremely radioac- control inside the protection zone and detain ports. tive material. The study confirms previous find- Russian vessels if a violation occurs. Norwe- – The Independent Barents Observer gian officials have assessed a penalty of ings of high levels of radioactivity in the Arctic 200,000 kroner against Russia's Melkart trawler and warns that as Arctic glaciers rapidly melt, and 30,000 against the captain of the vessel. SUNDAY the radioactivity will be released into down- - Tass.ru stream water sources and ecosystems. Edyta Earth's temperature dropped Lokas, a researcher at the Institute of Nuclear SATURDAY MONDAY Physics at the Polish Academy of Sciences who during total solar eclipse led the project, said some of the radiation is na- Hurtigruten leader seeks limits Given that it was more than 20 degrees ture, but most of it comes from human activity. Celsius below zero in Longyearbyen at the “The radionuclide ratio signatures point to the of size of cruise ships in Arctic time, those watching it here may not have no- global fallout [from nuclear weapon testing], as It's a paradox but global warming is open- ticed. But Earth's temperature dropped during the main source of radioactive contamination ing more Arctic waters for vessels with tourists the March 20 total solar eclipse, according to See DAILY, page 10 Page 10 August 23, 2016

EDYTA LOKAS Researchers preserve ice core samples from Hansbreen during an expedition examining surface holes on the glacier, which have radioactive content. DAILY, from page 9 thriller made in Norway" will explore the possi- "What if it wan’t an accident after all," said r on Svalbard," Lokas wrote in an e-mail. "How- bility the 1962 mining disaster in Ny-Ålesund John M. Jacobsen, producer of the 7.5-million- ever, some regional contribution, probably that killed 21 people wasn't an accident. "Kings kroner film written and directed by Stig Svend- from the Soviet tests performed on Novaya Bay," scheduled to debut in January, follows a sen. The film stars Jørgen Langhelle, Erik Zemlya was also found." group of journalists in Tromsø trying to deter- Hivju and Maria Kock. In real life, 71 people – Glacier Hub mine what really happened because "they have were killed in accidents between 1945 and THURSDAY found old tapes with new information about the 1963 in the settlement. An investigation after FRIDAY event – a public investigation criticized the se- the 1962 accident determined there were nu- curity measures in the mines, which later forced merous deficiencies in the management of the Thriller to ask 'what if' about the Social Democratic government to resign, mine, with the minister of industry partly culpa- Ny-Ålesund mine tragedy making way for the first right-wing ruling party ble. A film touted as "the first real political in Norway," a description of the film notes. – Variety Need the straight scoop on all things Svalbard? Our website offers "one-stop" booking for all lodging, tours and other activities, plus:

Rules, safety tips, history, fun A comprehensive calendar of A subscriber newsletter with all facts, maps, online movies and tours and activities that's media coverage of Svalbard details about major events updated daily during the past week

Visit us at our website or in person at the end of the walking street in the city center going towards .

www.visitsvalbard.com • +47 79 02 55 50 • [email protected] August 23, 2016 Page 11 Research-based education of the next generation of Arctic experts The University Centre in Svalbard Photo: Nils Pe ! er Dale

www.unis.no icepeople is seeking an editorial intern The world's coolest alternative newspaper has managed to go from dead to undead during the past few weeks, as our editor and lone reporter has officially been certified as a zombie. And with this fishwrapper expanding from four pages at the beginning of last year to 12 pages – and maybe more – this year, it's haunting to think what he might turn into if he continues to do it all himself. Requirements (hard to believe, but we really are hardcore "old-school" journalism disciples): • Basic news writing and photography skills. • An ability to appear sober while doing interviews. What you get: • Nothing (at least in terms of money, but that could change if we start turning a profit). • A bunch of clips and photos that will definitely get you noticed when you apply for jobs. • Expert (seriously) guidance in the ways of the trade from our maniacal editor, who's been doing this for real all over the world for 30 years. Contact Mark Sabbatini at 4151 4638 or [email protected] if interested. Page 12 August 23, 2016

What's up

Aug. 24 Weekly women's tour group outing. Details at tinyurl.com/hdbb8zl. 6 p.m.: Movie: "Everybody Wants Some!" U.S. comedy, no age limit specified. Kulturhuset. Aug. 25 6 p.m.: Svalbard Turn vs. Drillos football match. Training for youths will be offered afterward. Football field at Svalbardhallen. Aug. 26 BBC EARTH Camp Svalbard for youths ages 13-18. The Northern Lights offer a lot of color, but few clues about how the lives of ten Longyearbyen For more information contact residents will be portrayed in the reality TV series "Ice Town: Life on the Edge" debuting this month. tinyurl.com/grtdcyr. Aug. 27 6 p.m.: Svalbard Spacerun from Stage as a star Taubanesentralen to KSAT. Untimed class begins at 6 p.m., timed class at 7 Svalbard's Facebook page (tinyurl.com/ p.m. Details at svalbardturn.no. The setting for that docu-soap hrnbtam) is among the many getting a rush of Aug. 28 seems to universally acclaimed; responses from readers, many posting their as for that 'extreme' plotline… travel photos and seeking bragging rights as 3 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.: Preview screening well as reliving memories. One also played the of first episode of "Ice Town: Life on the By MARK SABBATINI part of the critic about the trailer, which is Edge." Kulturhuset. Editor heavy on shots of the Northern Lights and char- 5 p.m.: Movie: "Ice Age 5" (3D), U.S. The verdict on the show remains to be de- acters who appear rather eccentric, but light on termined, but the promos for it certainly have details. animation/comedy, all ages. Kulturhuset. people ranting about the stage where it takes The trailer certainly doesn't do justice to 7 p.m.: Movie: "Løvekvinnen," place. the fabulous and unique place that is Longyear- Norwegian drama, no age limit specified. Local previews of the first episode of a byen," wrote Ann Powell Groner. "I'll see the Kulturhuset. docu-soap following the lives of ten Longyear- show for sure but the trailer causes me to ex- byen residents during much of the past year are pect I won't much like the program. They seem Aug. 29 scheduled at 3 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Sunday at to be trying to magnify the "weird" at the ex- 7 p.m.: Enrollment meeting for Kulturhuset. The previews will occur a day be- pense of capturing the magic. Tabloid style Norwegian language courses for adults. fore the BBC Earth series debuts in Norway, coverage of a place I love. Hope I'm wrong." Longyearbyen School. but on the same day it will be shown in the (Disclosure: the editor of this newspaper is United Kingdom and many other countries. among the ten "characters" portrayed.) Aug. 31 A trailer for the ten-episode show, titled There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net Weekly women's tour group outing. "Ice Town: Life on the Edge" posted on Visit for the complete story. Details at tinyurl.com/hdbb8zl. 6 p.m.: Movie: "Ice Age 5," U.S. animation/comedy, all ages. Kulturhuset. Sept. 4 5 p.m.: Movie: "The BFG - Big Friendly Giant," U.S. adventure, no age limit specified. Kulturhuset. 7 p.m.: Movie: "Central Intelligence," U.S. comedy, ages 12 and up. Kulturhuset. What's online "!is book does not only cover comprehensive THE complete guidebook information concerning all Icepeople.net provides daily updates of "elds of possible interest, news about Svalbard and the world's but is at the same time a by the complete guide photo book containing polar regions, plus extras for articles from many color images to the print edition. Among the latest news: illustrate many wildlife and #ower species and to ● China planning nuclear voyages in Arctic document landscapes and places from all over the ● Climate change causes anthrax outbreak archipelago." - Reader review ● Inuits fear impact of 'extinction tourism' Sailing Voyages • Books • Photography • DVDs • Polar News And Information ● Arctic football team plays on ship deck