Field and laboratory tests were performed on 24 sea ice specimens from the Gulf of Bothnia. Field test equipment called FIFT, developed at the Lulea University of Technology was used in the tests. An experimental compliance calibration was performed and an expression was then derived where corrections for geometrical imperfections of the short rod chevron notched (SRCN) specimen can be made. Using the SRCN specimen, an apparent fracture toughness, KQ as a function of the porosity in form of brine volume can be found. The results obtained show a rapid decrease in KQ with increasing porosity. This behaviour is more pronounced than was found in other work on columnar sea ice. The results obtained are derived from a linearly elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) theory. The linearity of the load versus crack opening displacement curves and large specimen sizes indicate that LEFM could be applicable.