The Economics and Land-Use Conflicts of Sámi Reindeer Herding in Finnmark: Exploring the Alternatives

Samisk reindrift har et dårlig rykte i Norge. Det har lenge blitt hevdet at det er for mange rein i Finnmark spesielt, og at dette går ut over både lavmattene på vidda, produktiviteten i næringen, dyrevelferden samt at det fører til flere arealbrukskonflikter. Dette prosjektet har avdekket hvordan de vanligste forestillingene om samisk reindrift er myter med lite forankring i virkeligheten. I motsetning til bildet som skapes av mediene, politikere og statsforvaltningen, er den tradisjonsbaserte reindriften en økologisk bærekraftig aktivitet. Næringen trues imidlertid av feilvurderinger i statens reindriftsforvaltning og av gruvedrift og andre arealinngrep. Prosjektet viser at det er grunn til å legge om til en reindriftsforvaltning der utøvernes egne tradisjonsbaserte kunnskap tas på alvor.

The reindeer industry in Norway appears to be in a crisis.First, the price of reindeer meat paid to the reindeer owners has decreased significantly during the last few decades.Second, the industry is increasingly involved in land-use conflicts.This projec t is focusing on both the economics and land-use conflicts of reindeer herding in Finnmark.It proposes an interdisciplinary analysis of the reindeer sector based on a political ecology approach.The overall aim is to provide new knowledge for the developme nt of policy alternatives for improved economic output and reduced land-use conflicts.The economic context of reindeer herding will be analysed in two work packages (WP). First there will be a historical political economy study of the reindeer sector in N orway and Finnmark in particular.Based on this background study, a value chain analysis of reindeer meat from the birth of reindeer calves to the supermarket will be carried out in WP2.Based on these two WPs, a proposal will be presented for how the reind eer meat value-chain can be better organised to increase production and revenues to producers.In WP3, there will be an inventory of different types of land-use conflicts involving reindeer herding.In addition, there will be an in-depth case study of one c ase of each conflict type. WP4 will build on WPs 1-3 to carry out narrative analyses of how key actors perceive the economics of the reindeer sector as well as how conflicts are perceived by the actors involved.In WP5, we will use repeat landscape photogr aphy to compare landscape changes over time as well as to compare indigenous and scientific knowledge.Reindeer owners and biologists familiar with the landscapes on the photos will be interviewed to provide their interpretations of the changes observed.We believe WPs 3-5 together have the potential to provide alternative explanations of land-use conflicts in Finnmark.Finally, in WP6 findings will be summarised, discussed with herders and disseminated widely.