Russia Starts Census of Indigenous Peoples – Download and Listen to MP 3 (Source Voice of Russia)
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(Video Bruce Forbes) The Arctic Centre of Finland is Finland’s national arctic research centre. Researchers at the Arctic Centre have been carrying out research on the Yamal Peninsula with Nenets reindeer herders for many years primarily under the theme of Global Change and Land use change. Videos and Photos from this years field work on Yamal, led by Dr. Bruce Forbes can be see here A recent study published in the International Journal for Circumpolar Health concluded that reindeer herding Sami in Sweden, most particularly men, were more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety than others. Entitled “Depression and anxiety in the reindeer-herding Sami population of Sweden” , the objectives were to investigate symptoms and predicting factors of depression and anxiety among reindeer-herding Sami in Sweden and a total of 319 reindeer-herding Sami (168 men, 151 women) were compared with urban and rural reference populations comprising 1,393 persons (662 men, 731 women). The Sami population disclosed higher mean values for both depression and anxiety than the reference groups, with Sami men reporting the highest rates. Work-related stress was associated with anxiety and depression in the Sami group and the study concluded that by comparing Sami men and women with reference groups of men and women living in urban and rural areas in northern Sweden, this study identified that reindeer-herding Sami men require special attention with regard to mental health problems. (Int J Circumpolar Health, Published online 18.08.2010)
University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers want to know if there’s more potential for the state’s roughly 18,000 reindeer. A new market study is under way to see whether local consumers are interested in high-end cuts of reindeer, and to determine what they’re willing to pay for them. Greg Finstad, the manager of UAF’s Reindeer Research Program, hopes to see a day when customers eagerly throw a petite reindeer steak on the grill. “We’re trying to establish the connection — the business relationship between the retailer and consumer,” Finstad said. UAF researchers began providing Home Grown Market with sides of reindeer last week to gauge demand for the product. The small Geraghty Avenue grocery, which specializes in locally grown foods, is offering reindeer steaks and ground meat. The market study is expected to last for the next year. Throughout the process, Home Grown Market has agreed to open its books so UAF can determine the specific cost of selling the meat. The reindeer isn’t cheap — steaks are selling for $25 per pound — but they offer a local product that’s been virtually impossible to find in the past. Alaska’s reindeer has almost all gone toward sausage, and even the choice cuts went into the grinder. Because of that, reindeer herders on the Seward Peninsula have little concept of the worth of a good reindeer steak. “They’re raising these reindeer, but they have no idea what their market value is,” Finstad said. Continue reading Study to look at market interest in reindeer in Alaska Farmers and herders in Northern Finland have threatened to shoot reindeer from Norway. “Between December 2009 and May 2010, we have counted, and sent back about 4200 Norwegian reindeer, ” said Assistant Police Chief in Peräpohjola police in Finland, Ossi Hyvönen. Hyvönen estimated the damage to pastures to be as much as 120,000 Euros, just under 1 Million NOK, according to a reports NRK Radio. “In particular the farmers are very angry. If we have no choice, we may have to shoot some reindeer before the reindeer owners on the Norwegian side pay attention. More fences on the Norwegian side of the border were discussed as being a solution the issue. Source: NRK
  Today within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2010 Alexander Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Peter Mellbye, Executive Vice President of Statoil signed an Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation. Pursuant to the Agreement, the parties will in such areas as geological exploration and development of hydrocarbon fields; hydrocarbons production and treatment before transportation; technologies and equipment for the hydrocarbons transportation; environmental protection of the Northern seas and territories; Health, Safety and Environment issues under northern conditions; energy saving; renewable energy sources; gas processing; project management and corporate governance. According to the document Gazprom and Statoil will compile a Sci-Tech Cooperation Program to be adjusted every 1 to 3 years for the purpose of joint efforts coordination. Background Gazprom and Statoil are partners in Phase 1 of the Shtokman gas and condensate field development. In June 2009, Gazprom and Statoil signed the Memorandum of Understanding. The document provides for joint activities of the companies in the area of exploration, development and production of hydrocarbon resources in northern regions.
This will signal the first time that Yamal reindeer meat is imported to a country that already has a domestic reindeer meat industry. Lapin Liha stated to the media that this was necessary as there was simply not enough reindeer meat supply in the market in Finland to meet their production goals of 40,000 reindeer per year. Currently they are processing around 24000 per year, 3000 of which come from Sweden. Lapin Liha plan to import 200-250,000 kilos per year, all of which will come from the EU certified slaughterhouse in Yar-Sale, which was constructed by the Finnish company Kometos Oy. Read the news release here on the Lapin Liha site.
The secret? The giant Markbygden wind farm — covering more than 500 square kilometres, or the equivalent of five times the size of Paris — is being built in a virtually uninhabited, desolate stretch of Sweden’s great north. “If I were to try the same thing in Germany, it would take me 20 years to get everyone’s agreement,” Wolfgang Kropp, the German head of the project, told AFP. Continue reading ‘Wind turbines set out to conquer Sweden’s great north’ AP Finland’s rare wild forest reindeer may be facing total extinction, says the Finnish Hunters` Association. The group is calling for Finland and the EU to jointly protect the wild reindeer by further regulating the population of large predators. The sharp drop in the number of wild Finnish forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus) is attributed to the growing numbers of wolves, lynx and bears that prey upon them. The Hunters` Association is calling for more permits to hunt these predators in parts of the country where they threaten wild reindeer. In Kainuu, in the northwest, the wild forest reindeer population has decline by half over the past decade. Counts now give an estimate of only about 800 of the animals left there. In addition to the wild forest reindeer in Kainuu, there are about 1000 in the old-growth forest areas of west-central Finland. The wild Finnish forest reindeer are the last population of their species in the world. Source – YLE On Sunday Anne Ollila became the first woman to head the Reindeer Herders’ Association of Finland. Both she and the reindeer herding sector face great challenges, writes the daily Lapin Kansa: “The challenges are not insurmountable because a Finn never leaves a reindeer in the lurch. Lapland wouldn’t be Lapland without reindeers. The reindeer herding sector will continue to be important for the economy of the north, which serves not only its own people but because of rising tourism also a growing number of customers. For the future it is vital that reindeers and reindeer meat continue to enjoy an excellent reputation. In a world of green values it’s good to stress that reindeers which grow up surrounded by clean nature leave behind smaller ecological footprints than other ruminants.” Source – Baltic Review |
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FAIRBANKS (AP) — For most hungry Alaskans, reindeer meat doesn’t represent much more than a spicy sausage link.
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