Progress Report "Sustainable Reindeer Husbandry" (SRH)

Objectives

The project “Sustainable Reindeer Husbandry” was approved by the Arctic Council as a project under the Sustainable Development Programme at the Ministerial meeting in Barrow, Alaska 2000.

The aim of the project is to assess circumpolar reindeer herding and husbandry in relation to economic and social/cultural sustainability. This will be done by carrying out a thematic survey and assessment of reindeer husbandry in the arctic region (Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia).

The main objectives of the SRH are:

Describe and analyse the present situation with regard to economic and social conditions
Describe and analyse the present situation with regard to national management of reindeer husbandry, and
Describe and analyse the present situation with regard to current legal status in the reindeer husbandry.

Origin of the project

At the first ministerial meeting in Arctic Council, in Iqaluit Canada, the former Norwegian foreign minister Knut Vollebæk, focused on different Arctic industries (oil & gas, fisheries, and reindeer herding) and how these industries are related to sustainable development. Vollebæk stated that Norway would initiate international workshops in these themes. The workshop which discussed reindeer husbandry, was held in Kautokeino, Norway, in March 2000 under the heading “Sustainable reindeer herding and husbandry”. The chairmen’s summary from the workshop states:

“The Arctic Council should initiate a project to survey the situation in the reindeer husbandry industry. Such a project would have to consider the different aspects of reindeer husbandry and be carried out in collaboration with the Association of World Reindeer Herders.”

The formal start-up for the project was October 1^st 2000, and the project period is until 31^st of December 2002.

Organisational structure

The project will be headed by an international steering committee. For the time being the members of the steering committee are:

Jan Tore Holvik, Senior Arctic Official and ambassador, The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Head of the Steering Committee)
Dag Lenvik, Deputy director, The Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture
Johan-Klemet Kalstad, Director, Nordic Sami Institute, Kautokeino
Johan-Mathis Turi, President, Association of World Reindeer Herders, Tromsø
Tatjana S. Nikolajeva, Senior Consultant, The Russian Ministry of Agriculture
Vasilij. A. Zabrodin, chairman for the coordination team for the North-Western sector of Academy of Agriculture Sciences, St. Petersburg
Director, Norilsk Institute of Far North Agriculture

A project manager located at the Centre for Sami Studies, University of Tromsø, heads the day-to-day work. He is responsible for the scientific work in the project and for the preparation of the project report. A Russian co-ordinator with responsibilities for the work in Russia, will be designated in the near future. Scientists from the Nordic Sami Institute in Kautokeino will be closely involved in the project. The Nordic Sami Institute will also employ a Russian scientist on the project.

So far Norway and Russia are represented in the steering committee. Other countries with an active involvement in the project are invited to join the steering committee.

Collection of data

The project will to a great extent use socio-economic data which already are available in the different countries through public reports, annual reindeer herding reports, statistics etc. This data will be complemented with the most recent available data from national reindeer herding authorities, herding organisations, and through interview and fieldwork among reindeer herders.

The project has established contacts with different scientific communities and reindeer herding organisations in Sweden, Finland, Russia and Norway. Already existing international scientific networks are connected to the project. Association of World Reindeer Herders plays a key role in the project.

To specify the type of information needed to fulfill the goals of the project, the following list can be useful (some changes may occur):

Household/Family/Community:

· Distribution of income in the family

· Costs (for family/state and community farms)

· Income from meat and other products from reindeer (for family/state and community farms)

· Number of reindeer in different forms of ownership

External conditions that effect reindeer husbandry:

· Conflict with other industries

· Influence of wild reindeer (Russia)

· Access to and requirement for abattoir

· Access to market

National management of reindeer husbandry:

· National level

· Regional level

· Local level

· Compensation

· Government subsidy

Legal status:

· National legislation

· Regional legislation

· Local legislation

Time Schedule

The Steering Committee has agreed upon the following time schedule for the project:

January – June 2001

Meeting in Moscow with the Russian Ministry of Agriculture (March)
Contacts/travelling in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia to set up the project
Preparation of a database of existing and relevant literature
April 5-6, Arctic Council ”Sustainable Development Working Group” meeting in Rovaniemi.
Fieldtrip to Yamal (April)
Fieldtrips in Fenno-Scandinavia, (April and May)
June 10-12, Arctic Council, SAO-meeting in Rovaniemi, Finland
June 18-23 June, Second World Congress, WRH, and project workshop, Inare, Finland
Fieldtrips to Kola Peninsula, Yakutia/Sakha and Chukotka

July – December 2001

July – December: fieldtrips in Fenno-Scandinavia, Mongolia and Russia
November 5, Arctic Council SDWG-meeting in Espoo, Finland
November 6-7, Arctic Council SAO-meeting in Espoo, Finland
November 8, Meeting in the Steering Committee in Espoo, Finland
First draft of fieldwork reports ready (November – December)

January – June 2002

Preparation of the collected data
Preparation of the scientific reports from each country
First draft of the main report
April: workshop with presentation of the findings in the project, Kautokeino, Norway.
June: Meeting in the Steering Committee, Tromsø

July – December 2002

July, First draft of the main report finished
August, last meeting in the Steering Committee, final approval of the report
September, Ministerial meeting in Rovaniemi, presentation of the report
October – December: publishing of scientific articles from the project

Funding

Norway funds the project for the period 2000-2002 with NOK 2.300.000 (approx. $260.000).

It is expected that other countries will make commitments to the project, either in kind or through financial contribution.

Anticipated outcome

A review and documentation of circumpolar reindeer husbandry will increase the focus on reindeer husbandry as an economic and social/cultural basis for Arctic indigenous people. The project is a contribution to increase the focus on reindeer husbandry within the Arctic Council.

The project will make for a better understanding of the industry’s needs and of how to meet future challenges. The project will identify areas for action and the need for international cooperation.

The project will involve reindeer herders who represent different groups of indigenous peoples and will thus facilitate the exchange of traditional knowledge and assist in building networks etc.

The results will be made public and available/distributed to members, permanent participants and observers of the Arctic Council, as well as reindeer herders, educational institutions etc.

The final report, which will be presented to the Ministerial meeting in Finland in September 2002, should reflect the main challenges for a sustainable development of the reindeer herding communities, and give recommendation for action to the industry, national authorities, and the Arctic Council.

SRH Contacts

SRH can be reached through:

Johnny-Leo L. Jernsletten

Project Manager

Phone: (+47) 776 46466

GSM: (+47) 41 56 71 72

Fax: (+47) 776 76672

Email: Johnny.jernsletten@sami.uit.no

Further documentation can be found at the official Sustainable Reindeer Husbandry’s homepage:

http://www.reindeer-husbandry.uit.no/

Tromsø, April 2001