The reason why the county administration wants to do a new reindeer pasture inventory is that there is tougher competition for the reindeer’s winter pastures.
– If you look at what is happening in these areas, the biggest change is in the far south of the county. The greatest pressure comes from the tourism industry and wind power expansion, says Göran Gabling, deputy unit manager at the county board’s nature conservation unit, to P4 Jamtland.
“Sounds a little crazy”
The County Administrative Board wants to start the inventory in Härjedalen and then continue north. An inventory could mean that some Sami villages have to reduce the number of reindeer, but also that the county administrative board says no to new wind farms.
– It can mean both raising and lowering, it must be a correctly set maximum number of reindeer.
But the proposal is met with mixed reactions.
– Inventory can be great, but it must be in harmony with the affected villages, who know their lands best, says Matti Blind Berg, chairman of the Swedish Sami National Association, SSR to P4 Jamtland and continues:
– It sounds a bit crazy if someone needs to reduce their reindeer numbers.
Need Money
The idea is that Sweden’s Agricultural University will do the inventory, but at the moment there is a lack of money.
A request to receive one million kroner for the first stage has therefore been sent to the government.
– We are conducting a dialogue and will return, says Rural Affairs Minister Peter Kullgren.