|
==Flora en fauna==
Beareneilân is frijwat keal. Der is hast gjin plantegroei, wol wat [[mos]]sen en gêrssoarten, mar gjin beammen of strûken.
De [[Iisbear|iisbear]] hat it elân syn namme oan te tankjen, mar it rôfdier is der gjin fêste bewenner. Yn de winter komme dêr wol iisbearen út noarden wei, fan [[Spitsbergen]]. It ienige oare lân[[sûchdier]] dat men der fine kin is de [[poalfoks]]. Yn de wetters om it eilân libje ferskate soarten [[seehûn]]en. De [[walrus]] is tsjintwurdich tige seldsum. De fierdere fauna bestiet út fûgels.
Men tinkt dat de [[Wytsingen]] al op it eilân west hawwe, mar der is gjin bewiis. De earste beskriuwing fan Beareneilân is fan [[Willem Barentsz]], dy't dêr wie op syn tredde ekspedysje yn [[1596]]. Yn de neifolgjende ieuwen is is it eilân wol brûkt as stasjon foar de [[walfiskfeart]], mar der ûntstie gjin permaninte bewenning. Eggs of seabirds were harvested from the large bird colonies until 1971. Starting in the early 17th century, the island was used mainly as a base for the hunting of [[walrus]] and other [[pinniped|seal]] species.<ref> Circumpolar Seabird Working Group [http://arcticportal.org/caff/cbird 2001][http://arcticportal.org/uploads/q8/qo/q8qoUGSfI0InO8Oi1SW23Q/Technical-no-9.pdf PDF: ''Seabird harvest regimes in the circumpolar nations'']</ref>
De strategyske wearde fan Beareneilân waard dúdlik yn it lêst fan de [[19e ieu]] doe't tsaristysk Ruslân en keizerlik Dútslân harren ynteresse sjen lieten yn de [[Barents See]].
The strategic value of Bear Island was recognised in the late 19th century, when [[Imperial Russia]] and [[Imperial Germany]] demonstrated their interests in the Barents Sea.
Fan 1916 oant 1925 waard er [[stienkoal]] wûn yn it lytse delsetting mei de namme ''Tunheim'' op de noardeastlike kust. Dêr is men mei ophâlden doe't it te min opsmiet. Men fynt der noch spoaren fan werom, ûnder oaren in stoomlokomotyf.
From 1916 to 1925 [[coal]] was mined at a small settlement named ''Tunheim'' on the northeastern coast, but mining was given up as unprofitable. Due to the cold and dry climate, the remains of the settlement, including a half-destroyed jetty and a steam locomotive, are relatively well preserved.
The whole island was privately owned by the coal mining [[joint stock company|company]] [[Bjørnøen|Bjørnøen AS]] from 1918 to 1932, when the Norwegian state took over the shares. Bjørnøen AS now exists as a state owned company and is jointly managed with [[Kings Bay AS]], the company that runs the operations of [[Ny-Ålesund]] on [[Spitsbergen]].<ref name=Statereport> {{cite web | author=Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry, | year=2005|. title=The State's Ownership Report 2004 | url=[http://www.odin.no/filarkiv/253150/ownership2004.pdf |format=PDF| dateformat=mdy |, accessdate=February 27 2006}}</ref> A Norwegian radio station (''Bjørnøya Radio'', [[callsign]]: ''LJB''<ref name=radiolist> {{cite web | year = 2005 | url = http://www.wmo.ch/web/www/ois/Operational_Information/VolumeD/VolumeD/Chapter4.pdf |format=PDF |title=List of coastal radio stations |work= |publisher= World Meteorological Organisation |dateformat=mdy |accessdate = October 9 2006}}</ref>) was established in ''Herwighamna'' on the north coast in 1919. It was later extended to include a meteorological station.
As the shipping routes from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to [[Murmansk]] and the ports of the [[White Sea]] pass through the Barents Sea, the waters near Bear Island were of great strategic importance in the [[WorldTwadde War II|Second World WarWrâldkriich]] as well as the [[ColdKâlde WarOarloch]]. Although Svalbard was not occupied by Germany in the SecondWO World WarII, German forces erected several weather stations there. An automated radio station was deployed on Bjørnøya in 1941. German forces attacked several [[Arctic convoys of World War II|arctic convoys]] with military supplies for the [[SovietSovjet UnionUny]] in the waters surrounding Bear Island. They inflicted heavy losses upon [[Convoykonvoai PQ-17]] in June/July 1942 but were ineffective in the [[BattleSlach ofyn thede Barents SeaSee]] on New Year's Eve 1942. The waters southeast of Bear Island were the scene of more naval battles in 1943. In November 1944, the Soviet Union proposed to annul the Svalbard Treaty with the intention of gaining sovereignty over Bear Island. Negotiations with [[Trygve Lie]] of the Norwegian government-in-exile had however not led to an agreement by the end of the Second World War and the Soviet proposals were never implemented.<ref name=Arlov/> The Soviet Union (and later, Russia) maintained their presence on Spitsbergen, however.
Yn it [[Spitsbergen-ferdrach ]] (1920) waard Beareneiland neamd as part fan [[Spitsbergen]] en kaam it oan [[Noarwegen]]. ▼In 2002 a [[nature reserve]] was established that covers all of the island, except {{convert|1.2|km2}} around the meteorological station; the reserve also includes the adjacent waters to four [[nautical mile]]s ({{convert|7.4|km}}) from the coast.<ref name=Forvplan>{{cite web | author=Sysselmannen på Svalbard (The Governor of Svalbard)| year=2005| title=Forvaltningsplan for Bjørnøya 2005-2010 ("Administrative plan for Bjørnøya 2005-2010") | url=http://www.sysselmannen.svalbard.no/forvpl_sms.pdf |format=PDF| dateformat=mdy |accessdate=November 24 2005}}</ref> In 2008 the decision was made to expand the reserve to {{convert|12|nmi|km}} from the coast covering {{convert|177|km2}} on land and {{convert|2805|km2}} of sea area.<ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Enlarged nature reserve around Bear Island |url=http://www.norwaypost.no/News/Enlarged-nature-reserve-around-Bear-Island/menu-id-26.html |work=[[Svalbardposten]] |publisher=The Norway Post |date=18 December 2008 |accessdate=18 December 2008 }}</ref> Today, the island's only inhabitants are the nine<ref name=NudieDip>{{cite web | title=Badet naken på Bjørnøya ("Swam naked on Bear island") | year=2008 | url=http://www.siste.no/Innenriks/article3730159.ece}}</ref> person staff of the Norwegian meteorological and radio station at Herwighamna. The station conducts meteorological observations and provides logistic and telecommunication services. It also maintains a landing place for use by helicopters of the [[Norwegian Coast Guard]]. The [[Norwegian Polar Institute]] conducts annual expeditions to Bear Island, mostly concerned with [[ornithology|ornithological]] research. Several other research projects, mostly pertaining to geography and climatology, are carried out less regularly. There are very few opportunities for individual travel to Bjørnøya. A few [[yacht]]s make landfall, usually en route between the Norwegian mainland and Spitsbergen. A small number of cruising ships have visited the island, but [[tourism]] is otherwise almost nonexistent.
▲Yn it [[Spitsbergen-ferdrach]] (1920) waard Beareneiland neamd as part fan [[Spitsbergen]] en kaam it oan [[Noarwegen]].
De iennige bewenners binne it personiel fan it Noarske [[waarstasjon]] yn Herwighamna. By it stasjon is in lanningsplak vfoar helikopters fan de Noarske kustwacht.
| 