More than any other animal, the polar bear, Ursus maritimus, is recognized as the symbol of the Arctic and Svalbard.The polar bear has been protected by international law since 1973 and it is considered a criminal act to hunt, lure, pursue, feed or disturb a polar bear in Svalbard. Even if the population have increased during the years after hunting was banned in 1973, there is new challenges for the approx 300 polar bears living in Svalbard. It spends most of its life on the drifting sea ice. Unfortunately the climate change have during the last years caused the drift ice to disappear quickly making it more difficult for the polar bears to hunt for seals.