Reindeer News from Finnmark
(Pic NRK Sami Radio) The price of reindeer meat in Norway has been on the rise - 20% in the last two years alone as have the number of reindeer in West Finnmark. State Secretary Ola T. Heggem believes that the new Reindeer Husbandry Law will bring these numbers down. The market for reindeer meat does not seem to be functioning well as the slaughter houses are full, yet the main stores in North Norway have not had reindeer meat in stock since May.
Right wing politicians in Hammerfest have proposed moving all the reindeer on the island of Kvaløya (where Hammerfest is located and site of Statoil’s new LNG plant) to Nordre Sørøya, an idea not welcomed by at least one business owner in that area. Also in Hammerfest, the Reindeer Husbandry Administration head, Ellen Inga O. Hætta has reacted with disappointment to the news that the Hammerfest municipality have commissioned a report which states that much of the island has poor pastures for reindeer husbandry. She went out on to point out that the numbers show otherwise.
(Pic. Ase Pulk/NRK) Aslak Ante Sara, the head of the local reindeer husbandry district (No. 20) wondered why such a report had been commissioned and whether it was yet another attack on reindeer husbandry. He stated that reindeer have always been there and that any report that said they should not simply could not be right. The story stirred up controversy locally and the Mayor of Hammerfest denied that a blunder had been made.