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Ballenas, osos en extinción y paseos prohibidos: así Kaktovik busca recuperar el control del turismo polar en Alaska
Kaktovik, una pequeña aldea del Ártico en el extremo norte de Alaska, busca revitalizar el turismo de osos polares tras años de restricciones y desafíos. El pueblo aspira a reactivar esta fuente de ingresos, pero también procura resguardar tanto el entorno natural como el modo de vida de la comunidad.
Cada fin de verano, los grandes osos blancos se congregan junto a Kaktovik, la única población establecida en el Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre del Ártico. Los animales llegan para alimentarse de los restos de ballena que dejan los cazadores y esperan que el frío intenso congele el mar. Este fenómeno llegó a atraer a 1.000 turistas cada año bajo la idea del “último chance” para ver a estos animales antes de que el cambio climático los lleve a la extinción.
La pandemia de COVID-19 y una orden federal que prohibió los paseos en barco para avistar osos pusieron freno casi total al turismo en la zona. Las autoridades estadounidenses justificaron la medida por la saturación de visitantes y el desborde de actividades en el pequeño pueblo. Ahora, los líderes de Kaktovik esperan nuevas reglas que permitan reactivar el turismo, estimado en millones de dólares, siempre que puedan establecer pautas para proteger el entorno y la propia comunidad.
“Vemos claramente el beneficio del turismo”, afirmó Charles Lampe, presidente de la Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation, propietaria de 373 kilómetros cuadrados de tierras, a The Associated Press. Y agregó: “La cuestión es que no puede gestionarse como antes”.
En los años 80, cualquier habitante del pueblo con una embarcación y conocimientos locales llevaba visitantes a observar osos por las islas planas y sin árboles que rodean la costa, o mientras estos desgarraban los restos de ballenas cazadas para subsistencia. Todo cambió a partir de 2008, cuando el gobierno federal declaró a los osos polares especie amenazada. El inusitado interés de los turistas coincidió con el rápido deshielo que pone en jaque la supervivencia de estos animales.
El auge atrajo a grandes operadores externos y turistas llegados desde ciudades lejanas, especialmente durante las 6 semanas de temporada que concentran la mayor afluencia. Pronto, los negocios locales sufrieron por la competencia de empresas ajenas que trasladaban visitantes directamente desde Fairbanks o Anchorage en vuelos diarios, dejando a los hoteles y restaurantes de Kaktovik al margen de muchos ingresos previstos.
La congestión aérea fue tal que residentes y turistas competían por los mismos vuelos, obstaculizando a veces el acceso de los locales a citas médicas y obligándolos a gastar en costosos alojamientos cuando no conseguían regresar en el día. La saturación tensionó la convivencia y forzó a muchos habitantes a replantearse la manera de recibir forasteros.
En 2021, la administración federal, responsable de la gestión de los osos polares, suspendió los paseos en barco por preocupación ante la alteración del comportamiento de los animales y la sobrecarga sufrida por el pueblo. Desde entonces, Kaktovik negocia directamente con el U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service la posible reactivación del turismo en condiciones que garanticen tanto la seguridad de los visitantes como la preservación de la fauna y el respeto por la población local.
Uno de los cambios que proponen los líderes locales es fijar un límite al tiempo que las embarcaciones pueden permanecer cerca de los osos. Demasiado contacto hace que los animales se habitúen a la presencia humana, lo que eleva el riesgo cuando los osos merodean por la aldea en busca de comida.
Durante el pico del turismo, las patrullas que ahuyentan a los osos se vieron obligadas a aumentar sus intervenciones: antes rara vez era necesario sacrificar a un ejemplar, pero la presión turística llevó a matar 3 o 4 osos por año, según Lampe. La situación escaló al punto de poner en peligro la seguridad vecinal: en 2023, una mujer de 24 años y su hijo de un año murieron en un ataque de oso en la localidad de Wales, en el remoto oeste de Estados Unidos. Fue el primer ataque mortal en treinta años en el único estado del país donde habita esta especie.
De acuerdo con Lampe, tras la suspensión de los paseos, los osos parecen haber recuperado parte del temor a los seres humanos, lo que disminuye el riesgo de incursiones peligrosas dentro del pueblo.
El turismo del oso polar coincide con la temporada de caza tradicional de ballena de Kaktovik. Cuando los equipos logran capturar una ballena, la carne se corta en la playa y la comunidad suele invitar a los visitantes a observar o incluso colaborar, aunque el tomar fotos sin permiso se percibe como una falta de respeto hacia la cultura local.
Sherry Rupert, directora ejecutiva de la American Indigenous Tourism Association, sugiere que Kaktovik debería promocionarse como una experiencia de dos o tres días, en la que los visitantes puedan comprender y valorar el modo de vida de la comunidad.
“Las comunidades nativas que realmente desean recibir turistas quieren que la gente venga, aprenda y se marche con un conocimiento mayor sobre nuestro pueblo, nuestra cultura y nuestro modo de vida”, señaló Rupert.
Entre los viajeros que han elegido Kaktovik destacan Roger y Sonia MacKertich, de Australia, quienes viajaron en septiembre de 2019 buscando el lugar ideal para observar osos polares en libertad. Durante su estadía, participaron en visitas guiadas por ancianos y adquirieron artesanías locales. Roger MacKertich, fotógrafo profesional de naturaleza, relata que la mejor experiencia fueron los paseos en barco: los osos se mostraron indiferentes ante la presencia humana. “Eso es casi tan bueno como se puede esperar”, concluyó.
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Graham Platner finally embraced by powerful mainstream Dem leaders after primary election victory
Maine voters speak out on Graham Platner’s controversies
Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is embroiled in controversy over his past behavior, including allegations of abuse from ex-girlfriends and a controversial tattoo he previously bore. Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams details the divided opinion among Maine voters as Platner prepares for Tuesday’s primary against GOP incumbent Sen. Susan Collins. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna’s support for Platner is also highlighted.
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Two top Democrat leaders who were hesitant to endorse embattled Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner by name amid his controversies finally relented Tuesday night after he cruised to victory in his primary election.
House Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., issued a seemingly half-hearted joint statement backing Platner as he continues to face heat stemming from a multitude of scandals.
«Over the past year, we have created a path to win a Democratic Senate majority and put a stop to the chaos and damage of the Trump administration by defeating the Republicans who enable his harmful agenda,» they wrote in a statement issued by the Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) just after Platner was declared the winner.
Graham Platner addresses the crowd at his watch party after winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate at a YMCA in Blue Hill, Maine, on June 9, 2026. Platner will face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the election for the seat. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)
«In November, Maine voters will elect Graham Platner, and we will win a Senate majority,» they concluded.
In the statement, the New York lawmakers attempted to paint moderate Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, as a radical pro-Trump Republican despite her several breaks with the president.
«Susan Collins has never been more vulnerable after she voted with Trump 96 percent of the time, confirmed his far-right judicial nominees, and took millions from special interests while voting to rip health care away from Mainers,» they listed.
SCANDAL-PLAGUED PLATNER CAPTURES DEMOCRATIC SENATE NOMINATION
Last week, Platner met with Gillibrand and Schumer, among other Democrats, during a crisis trip to Washington, D.C., in the midst of his latest scandal, which, at the time, was related to revelations of an account on a controversial messaging app.
After that meeting, Gillibrand refused to say whether she still supported the progressive candidate.
«I’m very confident we are going to win Maine,» she told reporters. «I do. I have confidence that we are going to win Maine and I have no doubt.»
Senate Minority Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference following a weekly policy luncheon with Senate Democrats at the U.S. Capitol on June 2, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
WATCH: DEM SENATORS EXCUSE PLATNER’S CONDUCT AT CRISIS HUDDLE WITH EMBATTLED MAINE CANDIDATE
Schumer also attempted to duck direct questions from reporters at a Capitol Hill press conference following that meeting.
«I met with Graham Platner today, we’re going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate,» he said. «We’re going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate.»
After he was asked for the fifth time about the meetings, he begrudgingly used Platner’s name to back the candidate.
WATCH: SCANDAL-PLAGUED PLATNER DODGES QUESTIONS BEFORE DC MEETING WITH DEMOCRATS
«As I said, I endorsed Graham Platner,» he said.
Before that meeting, Platner was embroiled in controversy after it was revealed that he has an active account on Kik, an anonymous chatting platform notorious for lax identification methods that have enabled the proliferation of child sexual abuse material.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., leaves the Senate Democrats lunch in the Mansfield Room at the Capitol on March 15, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images)
Platner used as his profile image on the application a sexually suggestive photo of himself shirtless and wearing only a towel around his waist.
Just days after the meetings in D.C., the candidate was accused of physical misconduct, including aggressive behavior, with a former romantic partner. Platner denies those accusations.
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Platner’s previous scandals include sexually lewd Reddit posts, disrespectful comments made against a Purple Heart-winning combat veteran, a Nazi-linked tattoo on his chest that has since been covered up and reports he exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women while married.
Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
democrats senate, politics, chuck schumer, graham platner, kirsten gillibrand
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World court prosecutor who went after Netanyahu for war crimes suspended over sexual misconduct
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The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor has been suspended with immediate effect after the court’s governing body referred disciplinary proceedings against him to member states following a sexual misconduct investigation.
The ICC, based in The Hague, is a permanent international court created under the Rome Statute to prosecute individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression when national courts are unable or unwilling to act.
Khan became one of the world’s most controversial prosecutors after seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, making his suspension a major development well beyond the court itself. Israel and the United States have rejected the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction, and neither country is a member of the court.
The Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute had decided to refer the disciplinary proceedings against Prosecutor Karim Khan to the full Assembly of States Parties, suspend him from duty pending a final decision and convene a special session to consider the matter, the International Criminal Court’s Presidency said in a Tuesday statement.
ICC PROSECUTOR BEHIND NETANYAHU ARREST WARRANTS STEPS ASIDE AMID SEXUAL MISCONDUCT PROBE
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor has been suspended with immediate effect after the court’s governing body referred disciplinary proceedings against him to member states following a sexual misconduct investigation. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images)
«The Court respectfully invites the Assembly of the State Parties to conclude the process with the highest priority,» the court’s presidency said.
Khan, who has denied wrongdoing, led the court’s controversial push for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
Khan’s suspension followed an 18-month investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving a lawyer in his office.
Khan’s lawyers have denied the allegations and called the decision «unlawful, procedurally unfair and unsupported by evidence.»
The findings have moved through several layers of review.
A U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services investigation found evidence supporting the allegations, while a separate judicial review found the evidence was not enough to prove misconduct beyond a reasonable doubt, Reuters reported. The Assembly of States Parties Bureau, which oversees the court on behalf of member states, nevertheless found that Khan had committed serious misconduct involving nonconsensual sexual activity and recommended his removal, Reuters reported.
The disciplinary probe found Khan had engaged in «serious misconduct» and a «serious breach of duty,» The Associated Press reported.
The case now goes to a special session of the Assembly of States Parties, the International Criminal Court’s 125 member governing body. The final decision lies with the assembly and a date for the special session has not yet been set.
Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, told Fox News Digital that, «The fact that states parties appear to be taking this seriously is important but the decision is confidential so we can’t comment on it. We will be monitoring next steps closely. Meanwhile, state parties should continue to support the court in its important work across its docket.»
CHIEF PROSECUTOR BEHIND ISRAEL WAR CRIMES CHARGES FACES DISCIPLINARY ACTION AMID SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS
Karim Khan was the ICC’s chief prosecutor. (Getty Images)
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant in November 2024 after Khan requested them months earlier. Israel and the United States condemned the move, accusing the court of equating Israeli leaders with Hamas terrorists.
The Trump administration sanctioned Khan in February 2025 over the court’s actions targeting Israeli officials, under an executive order targeting ICC officials involved in actions against the U.S. or its allies. The order authorized asset freezes and U.S. entry restrictions, and Treasury later added Khan to its sanctions list.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told Fox News Digital that the U.S. position on the International Criminal Court «has never wavered.»
«We oppose any overreach by the ICC against the United States or our allies. Period,» Waltz said. «And we expect our partners to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us against these outrageous actions.»
Waltz said the U.S. is watching the disciplinary proceedings against Khan, while declining to comment on the specifics of the case.
«As for the situation with Prosecutor Karim Khan, this is a bit rich that this prosecutor sought to jail a democratically elected prime minister and now we are tracking his immediate suspension and the ongoing disciplinary proceedings,» Waltz said. «Of course, we aren’t going to comment on the specifics of that case while it plays out.»
The suspension drew immediate reaction from Israeli officials, who argued that the decision further undermines the court’s case against Netanyahu and Gallant.
«Want to divert attention from sex crime accusations? Just make up war crime accusations against Israel! Classic,» Netanyahu wrote Wednesday on X. «The ICC is corrupt to the core.»
TRUMP, CONGRESS LOOKING TO PUT SUFFOCATING SANCTIONS ON ‘KANGAROO’ ICC OVER NETANYAHU ARREST WARRANT
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant overseeing meeting at Israel’s Ministry of Defense following the IDF’s preemptive strikes against Hezbollah, August 25th. (Israel Government Press Office)
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told Fox News Digital that Khan’s suspension proves the International Criminal Court’s problems go beyond one prosecutor.
«The International Criminal Court’s decision to immediately suspend the Chief Prosecutor in The Hague, Karim Khan, following the UN investigation, proves that this body is rotten to the core,» Danon said. «Now is the time to cancel the absurd indictments against Prime Minister Netanyahu!»
Anne Bayefsky, president of Human Rights Voices and director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, told Fox News Digital that the scandal has damaged the credibility of the entire court.
«The astounding story of the world’s International Criminal Court and its lead prosecutor headed by a criminal, an alleged rapist, is not just about one rotten apple,» Bayefsky said. «The entire ICC machine let the process to hold Khan to account drag on for two years after his crimes were first reported.»
Bayefsky argued that the court’s actions against Israeli officials should now face renewed scrutiny.
US ANNOUNCES MORE SANCTIONS ON ICC OFFICIALS FOR TARGETING AMERICANS, ISRAELIS
The International Criminal Court building stands in The Hague, Netherlands, on April 30, 2024. (Selman Aksunger/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«ICC judges decided that Khan’s efforts to criminalize Israel’s Prime Minister and Defense Minister weren’t tainted by the clear evidence that Khan was trying desperately to use his attack on Israelis to save himself,» Bayefsky said. «Khan has taken the credibility of the whole shameful ICC apparatus down with him.»
The Presidency said the court’s leadership remains committed to «independent and impartial proceedings,» recognition and redress for victims of mass atrocities, and the «dignity, rights and aspirations» of court personnel.
The statement also sought to defend the institution itself, calling the ICC «one of the most significant achievements of human civilisation» and saying the court has a duty to protect «the proper functioning of the Court as a whole and its reputation,» the integrity of judicial proceedings, the rights of victims and suspects, and the well-being of court staff.
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Flag with the logo of the of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 29, 2022, in Den Haag, Netherlands. (Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
The court did not say whether Khan’s suspension would affect the cases involving Netanyahu and Gallant.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the International Criminal Court for comment.
benjamin netanyahu, sex crimes, human rights united nations, investigations, sanctions
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