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Reindeer Husbandry in Norway - Areas and Management PDF  | Print |
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Reindeer Husbandry in Norway
Rights to Own Reindeer
Areas and Management
Districts, Siida and Siida Units
Number of Reindeer
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The Reindeer Herding Area

Reindeer husbandry in Norway is conducted primarily in the Sámi reindeer herding area, which is divided into six regional reindeer herding areas; East-Finnmark, West-Finnmark, Troms, Nordland, Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag/Hedmark. The Reindeer herding area comprises approximately 14,000 km2 or 40% of Norway's surface area.

In addition to these are four so-called semi domesticated reindeer herding districts (tamreinlag) outside the Sámi reindeer herding area and the work with reindeer in these is of non-sámi character.

The right to own reindeer according to the reindeer husbandry act includes the right to graze reindeer in the mountains and other sites, including former cultivated fields and hay meadows outside and which are not linked to inhabited areas or facilities in operation, unless they are kept in the claim and not used as pasture, unless the area is fenced to keep out reindeer. Grazing rights include the right to seasonal grazing as necessary, such as spring, summer, autumn and winter grazing and also migratory routes, calving areas and rutting areas.

Outside the Sámi reindeer herding area, reindeer husbandry may not be conducted without the King's special permission. Such permission can be granted only to a person who by written sources can prove that they are associated with the current landowners and rights holders, or can access large enough areas with good reindeer pastures. A permit may not be granted within the wild reindeer area, nor so close to the Sámi reindeer herding area that it might cause conflict. The permit can be given for a certain period and the management can be subject to certain conditions.

(Lov om reindrift (reindriftsloven) 2007-06-15-40, Landbruks- og matdepartementet)

 

Management of Reindeer Husbandry

The management of Reindeer Husbandry is divided into 3 main levels; the national, the regional and the local level.

On the national level the reindeer husbandry issues belongs to the Ministry of Agriculture and food (Landbruks- og matdepartementet). Most of the decisions concerning reindeer husbandry on the national level are delegated to the “Norwegian Reindeer Husbandry Board” (Reindriftstyret in Norwegian and Boazodoallostivra in Sámi) which consists 4 members appointed by the Ministry and 3 appointed by the Sámi Parliament (Sámediggi). The daily responsibility to implement the State's reindeer husbandry policy lies with the Norwegian Reindeer Husbandry Administration, (Reindriftsforvaltningen) where the reindeer husbandry head is the supreme head. The reindeer husbandry administration should both implement state policies primarily through control measures and support reindeer husbandry as a secretariat and adviser to the reindeer husbandry management bodies. Once a year, the administration also produces reports about Sámi reindeer husbandry based on data collected trough the official reindeer owners report, from the reindeer owners tax forms and from reports given from the slaughterers etc.

On the regional level each reindeer herding area has its own board of 5 or 7 members appointed by the Sámi Parliament and the County council (Fylkestinget) but also a regional Reindeer Husbandry Administration. The reindeer agronomist is the head of the administration on the regional level and mainly works as acontact between reindeer herders and managers of reindeer herding. The administration on the regional level also works as a secretary to the area board.

On the local level the districts themselves manage the district's internal affairs, such as the district's economy. According to the new act and in comparison to the previous Act, reindeer herders have, gained more power and more responsibility as regards administering reindeer husbandry. For example, the district must produce so-called land use plans (bruksplaner) in which the districts land use plans are laid out along with predicted reindeer numbers.

The Reindeer Herders Association of Norway (Norske Reindriftssamers Landsforbund in Norwegian or Norgga Boazosámid Riikkasearvi in Sámi) is an organisation for the Sámi reindeer herding in Norway. NRL does not in any way manage the Sámi reindeer husbandry, but has since 1970’s negotiated annually with the state about economic support to the reindeer husbandry. NRL’s purpose is to promote the Sámi reindeer husbandry interests economically, academically, socially and culturally. NRL works foremost for unity among the Sámi reindeer herders and for that the Sámi people them selves should control the development of the reindeer husbandry industry. Both districts and individuals can be members of NRL and membership is voluntary. The highest decision-making body is the national congress which is held annually. The secretariat of the organization, which has a budget of millions of Norwegian kronas, is based in Tromsø).

(Lov om reindrift (reindriftsloven) 2007-06-15-40, Landbruks- og matdepartementet)

(www.regjeringen.no)

(www.reindrift.no)

(www.nrl-nbr.no)

(The Encycloapedia of Saami Culture)

 



 
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