The number of registered snowmobiles

Last updated 10 October 2024

Snowmobiles are important means of transport on Svalbard and facilitates human activity over larger areas and further away from the settlements. Many different groups use snowmobiles, and in various settings, such as tourism, recreation, research, education etc. Many residents and visitors on Svalbard drive snowmobiles during winter/spring, and snowmobile traffic has increased greatly the last decades. Since the beginning of the time series in 1973, the number of registered snowmobiles on Svalbard has increased from approx. 200 to almost 3000.

The number of registered snowmobiles on Svalbard indicates the amount of snowmobile traffic outside the settlements. It is important to follow this development, because of the associated risk of impact on the natural environment on Svalbard through disturbance of wildlife, damage to animals, plants and terrain, as well as littering and pollution.

Status and trend

The number of registered snowmobiles on Svalbard have increased strongly during the time series, from slightly more than 200 in 1973 to more than 2000 in recent years.  Because of two different registration methods before and after 2010, the development in these periods are not compared directly.

During the period of the old registration method (1973-2009), the number of snowmobiles increased more than tenfold, to almost 2,900 snowmobiles in 2009. During the period of the current registration method, the number has increased by slightly more than 20%, from approx. 2,300 snowmobiles in 2010 to approx. 2,800 snowmobiles in 2023.

In the first ten years of the time series, the development was relatively steady, with a total increase from approx. 200 snowmobiles in 1973 to approx. 900 in 1983. In the next 11 years, the number remained stable at approx. 900-1050 snowmobiles. The number of snowmobiles increased almost every year between 1994 and 2009, except for 1999 when there was a 15% reduction from the previous year. The increase was particularly strong between 2005 and 2009, and the largest annual increase was 38% from 2006 to 2007.

The reduction of approx. 500 snowmobiles in 2010 is explained by changes in the registration method. Snowmobiles that were registered on Svalbard, but relocated from the archipelago, were then removed from the dataset.

In 2011 there was a further decrease from the previous year (12%), followed by a period until 2019 with stable numbers around 2,100. There were relatively large annual increases between 2019 and 2022, and the peak so far (with the current registration method) was almost 2,900 snowmobiles in 2022. As of today, there are approx. 2,800 registered snowmobiles on Svalbard. Reasons for the recent development are not clear.

Causal factors

Snowmobiles are important means of transportation for people on Svalbard, allowing them to travel around the archipelago and between settlements. Snowmobiles are used in private as well as organized trips, and the driving is mainly connected to tourism, recreation, research and education. Most of the driving takes place from the settlements, mainly Longyearbyen and Barentsburg. The amount, geographical distribution and seasonality of snowmobile use on Svalbard are influenced by factors such as laws and regulations, weather and environmental conditions, as well as supply and demand for snowmobiles among permanent residents and visitors.

Use of motorized vehicles is regulated through the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act and regulations relating to motor traffic in Svalbard, with authority to define where, when and for whom snowmobiling is permitted. The legislation for snowmobiling on Svalbard is less restrictive than in mainland Norway and ensures more extensive access to snowmobiling for permanent residents compared to visitors.

Permanent residents can move relatively freelywith snowmobileson most of Spitsbergen and can additionally apply to drive in Sør-Spitsbergen, Forlandet and Nordvest-Spitsbergen national parks. Visitors can drive snowmobiles in smaller areas, but still have good access to travel with snowmobiles in central parts of Spitsbergen.

Lower fees make snowmobiles cheaper on Svalbard than mainland Norway. The petrol price is lower and the relevant user groups, both residents and visitors, have relatively good finances. When moving to Svalbard, many people prioritize to purchase a snowmobile. Snowmobile trips  is also very popular among tourists in winter and spring, and many tour operators on Svalbard offer and advertise snowmobile tours.

Consequences

Snowmobiles enable people to travel in larger areas and further away from the settlements on Svalbard. Snowmobiles are useful for people in many different contexts and can contribute to valuable nature experiences. On the other hand, snowmobiling can affect and disturb wildlife, damage terrain and vegetation, contribute to pollution and noise, and cause littering. Snowmobiling should occur in a considerate manner and in accordance with the regulations to avoid negative consequences for the natural environment and for people who seek undisturbed nature experiences.

The snowmobiling season in winter/spring (March–May) coincides with the most challenging period for many animal species, and overlaps with the season for sea-based tourism. Reckless driving can disturb or harm wildlife (polar bears, Svalbard reindeer, arctic foxes, ringed seals, geese etc.), especially if the driving is reckless. The consequences for animals may be

• Increased, unnecessary use of energy and stress
• change in habitat use, behaviour, circadian rhythm or activity pattern in heavily trafficked areas
• conflict situations between animals (e.g. polar bears) and people.

The effect of disturbances on animals depends on the species, annual and seasonal variations, access to alternative habitats, and age, sex, condition, life stage and behaviour of individuals, among other things. Specialists and endemic species, like several of the species on Svalbard, are particularly vulnerable.

Most of the snowmobiling is channelled to natural routes that connect settlements and popular destinations, such as along the bottom of large valleys. This somewhat limits the geographical distribution of snowmobiling but increases the traffic and potential impact along the main routes. Some drive snowmobiles outside the most common routes, into side valleys and on mountain sides, and the driving is not always considerate and careful.

Snowmobiles discharge greenhouse gases and soot. The emissions are difficult to quantify and are small in a global context. Locally, snowmobile traffic contributes to noise.

About the monitoring

The number of registered snowmobiles indicates the potential for snowmobile traffic in Svalbard, but gives no information about the geographical and temporal extent. In 2023, the Governor of Svalbard introduced systematic reporting on detailed snowmobile activities from tour operators. Over time, this will provide additional information about traffic from organized commercial snowmobile trips, but there is a lack of data from snowmobiling among private individuals and in the context of research and education.

Further reading