Reindeer Blog

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 [...]

The two Shtokman partners to expand cooperation through a sci-tech cooperation program. 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 [...]

A multi stakeholder seminar was held in the Kautokeino, Norway yesterday which focussed on the issue of mining in Finnmark, an issue of some controversy in the region since the passing of the Finnmark Act which devolved desicion making powers over multiple resource issues to the region of Finnmark. The seminar was attended by the [...]

In northern Norway, summer pastures for reindeer are often located on the coastal islands of Finnmark and Troms counties. Traditionally, reindeer swim across from the mainland to the islands but with increasing pasture losses and migratory route fragmentation, since the early 1970s, many herders use a reindeer ‘ferry’ to transport reindeer over distances that have [...]

The Norwegian Reindeer Husbandry Administration is advising people in the northern Troms and Nordland areas to be particularly aware of reindeer this spring due to difficult grazing and operating conditions.  Easter is a hugely popular holiday period for Norwegians and people are on the move and outdoors.  Reindeer in northern Troms and Nordland have had [...]

Ask reindeer herders in certain parts of Norway and they will tell you that trains and reindeer do not mix. In the Norwegian media, there have been a series of stories about a series of deadly interactions between reindeer. A total of 1877 reindeer were run over by train in 2008 in Norway, despite the goals [...]

by Catherine Marciano.  JARFJORD, Norway (AFP) – On Norway’s border with Russia, the consequences of climate change are affecting the reindeer population as rising temperatures hit food stocks and industry growth eats into vital grazing land. “Over the past three years, I’ve had to give some hay to my 800 reindeer during the coldest months. It’s more [...]

– Reindeer Husbandry is the big loser in the Norwegian media, said Nils Henrik Sara, the leader of the Association of Norwegian Sámi Reindeer Herders (NRL), at a media seminar that was held in Kautokeino Saturday 14th of November. Sara says reindeer husbandry not been able to reach out with their opinions or what they [...]

Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will exploit Swedish leadership role in the EU and the Barents co-operation to get wider European interest in the North and the Arctic. – From a Norwegian point of view, it is interesting that Sweden in a few month, have the Presidency of both EU and Barents Cooperation. Wednesday [...]

Bård-Jørgen Bårdsen at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research in Tromsø defended earlier this year his doctoral thesis: “Risk-sensitive reproductive strategies: the effect of environmental unpredictability” for the degree of PhD. The thesis explains how reindeer can handle negative climatic variations wintertime by changing their behavior. Build fat reserves. www.nrk.no/sami