Paper short abstract:

This paper calls for moving beyond catastrophic thinking around human-polar bear encounters: while risks remain, exaggerated narratives of danger impede peaceful coexistence that would allow all to enjoy being and moving through Svalbard.

Paper long abstract:

When moving through Svalbard, one must always be prepared for a polar bear encounter. This necessity shapes socio-political and economic life: tourism thrives on the allure of polar bear sightings, with tours advertising once-in-a-lifetime encounters. Local shops are replete with polar bear merchandise, and regulations require polar bear guards for those venturing beyond settlements. These all perpetuate imaginaries of Svalbard as a dangerous, last wilderness. Yet, tensions exist between the aims of businesses, residents, and visitors and those of local government, which has recently tightened policies to limit movement and restrict human-bear interactions. These policies, intended to protect a "pristine" environment and the wellbeing of both species, have been criticised by the tourism sector for hampering business and limiting visitor experience. Some argue that these restrictions are motivated less by conservation and safety than by geopolitical interests. This paper explores how such regulations impact how residents, tourists, and businesses navigate daily life, engage in place-making, and form a collective identity around polar bear coexistence. It calls for moving beyond catastrophic thinking around human-polar bear encounters, contending that, while risks remain, exaggerated narratives of danger impede peaceful coexistence that would allow all parties—bear and human—to enjoy being and moving through Svalbard.