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OSLO

Norwegian official and wife receive death threats after walrus euthanasia

The director of Norway’s fisheries agency and his wife, who does not work for the agency, have received death threats from across the world following a decision to euthanise a walrus that took up residence in Oslo harbour.

Published: 15 August 2022 18:03 CEST
Norwegian official and wife receive death threats after walrus euthanasia
An official and his wife received threats on social media after a decision by authorities to euthanise a popular walrus that has been repeatedly sighted in Oslo Harbour this summer. Photo by Woubishet Z. Taffese on Unsplash

The walrus, nicknamed Freya, attracted crowds while basking in the Oslo fjord this summer but was euthanised on Sunday.

Officials said it was the only option after determining they could not “guarantee the wellbeing of the animal”.

Experts criticised an “infinitely sad” decision, however.

READ ALSO: Walrus that attracted crowds in Oslo fjord euthanised

The head of the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, Frank Bakke-Jensen, received death threats from Norway and all over the world on Monday after the decision to put down the walrus was reported, broadcaster NRK reported.

Bakke-Jensen’s wife, Hilde Sjurelv, was also the target of threats according to the report.

“It’s completely fine not to agree, but making death threats is going too far. That’s going too far,” Sjurelv told NRK.

Sjurelv has received abuse based on both who she is and her appearance but cited the death threats as the worst of the messages. Several of the messages have been seen by NRK, the broadcaster writes.

“I was shaken and scared when unpleasant messages and comments began pouring in on my phone,” Sjurelv said.

“This is about an issue I have nothing to do with, apart from being married to Frank,” she said.

“I think many people from different countries can express their view but they should limit it to disagreeing and not make direct death threats,” she said.

She has now made her Facebook profile private, she said.

Bakke-Jensen said he would report the threats to police.

“I have no problem receiving complaints or objections about my job to me personally. But I think it’s way over the line to contact my family. But that has unfortunately become part of everyday life,” he told NRK.

“My own safety is taken care of, so I’m not too concerned about that. This is an issue that has been very emotive and that can set off a lot of irrational forces, so we get examples like this,” he said.

The director of the Fisheries agency said he did not think he or his wife would be in need of added security.

“I will do as I have done before, save and send on to the police, and their experts will assess it,” he said.

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OSLO

Potential bankruptcy threatens bus services in Oslo 

The strained finances of bus provider Unibuss could cause chaos for Oslo’s bus network if the company folds. 

Published: 24 April 2024 12:08 CEST
Potential bankruptcy threatens bus services in Oslo 

Unibuss, which is wholly owned by Oslo Municipality, is in danger of going bust due to large losses, unpaid bills, and fines from public transport firm Ruter for issues with its electric bus fleet this winter. 

Oslo City Council will hold an emergency meeting headed up by transport councilor Marit Vea on Wednesday, where she will be grilled on how the council will avert a collapse in the city’s public transport network should Unibuss go bankrupt. 

Unibuss is comprised of four smaller companies that operate bus routes in Oslo on behalf of Ruter. The company has just over 370 buses in operation and covers around 60 to 70 percent of the routes in Oslo and the neighboring municipality of Bærum. 

Oslo’s fleet of electric busses struggled especially with snow and cold temperatures this winter, which caused frequent chaos across the capital’s public transport network. 

Snow, ice, range and charging issues for the busses lead to vehicle shortages which caused mass delays and cancellations several times over the winter. 

Ruter, which is also part owned by Oslo municipality, believes that the financial problems facing Unibuss mean the company could be forced to file for bankruptcy or undergo a major restructuring, according to a memo obtained by publication Teknisk Ukeblad.  

It has previously told public broadcaster that it was working on a plan in case Unibuss goes bankrupt. 

“There is no doubt that the first days of such a scenario will be very demanding for the residents of Oslo and parts of Akershus,” Ruter’s communications director Elisabeth Skarsbø Moen told public broadcaster NRK.  

“First and foremost, we are working to find a solution together with Unibuss that does not affect Ruter’s customers,” she said. 

“But as those responsible for public transport, we have both a plan and an emergency organization ready to also handle a bankruptcy,” Skarsbø Moen added. 

Should Unibuss go bankrupt, its buses would become part of the bankruptcy estate and if such an event were to occur while passengers were in transit, all passengers would need to disembark at the next stop so the buses can be transported to the depot. 

Ruter said it had an eye on the market to try and see what could be available in terms of extra buses and equipment. 

It said that its priority would be to ensure that school transport, and that healthcare workers could get to work, in the event of a sudden lack of buses. 

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