Governor sets arctic fox trapping deadline 22 October for residents

The Governor's application page for 2026/27 lists an application start of 9 October 2026 at 09:00 and a deadline of 22 October at 23:59. Trapping is reserved for registered residents of Svalbard. Trappers will not be allowed to skin the foxes themselves, because each fox is to be examined for fur lice. The Governor says limits on the number of foxes per terrain will also be considered for 2026/2027.

Those allocated a permit are called to an information meeting with the Governor on 3 November 2026, from 18:00 to 21:00. The meeting is mandatory for everyone who is to trap foxes, and it covers how trapping is to be reported. All traps must be approved by the Governor before use. A person under 18 who is offered a trapping area gets the fee of 200 kroner refunded.

The Governor's page on hunting and trapping gives the arctic fox season as 1 November to 15 March, with 25 trapping areas, 23 of them on Nordenskiöld Land.

Correction, 26 October 2026: an earlier version said trappers cannot prepare the pelt themselves. The Governor's application page says they will not be allowed to skin the foxes themselves.

Coverage: NRK