Reindeer husbandry
Reindeer husbandry is an important part of the Sami cultural heritage. Central government has overall responsibility for ensuring the continuance of reindeer husbandry as a thriving part of the culture.
In Sweden, reindeer herding is pursued throughout practically all of Norrbotten, Västerbotten and Jämtland counties and in parts of Dalarna and Västernorrland counties. Reindeer pastures cover about one third of Sweden's area.
There are some 3 500 reindeer-owning Sami and some 900 reindeer herding businesses in Sweden, according to Swedish Board of Agriculture statistics from 2002. In addition, there are about 1 000 persons of non-Sami descent who primarily keep reindeer in the country's Concession Sami villages. The term "reindeer owner" refers to all those listed in the Sami villages' reindeer registers.
Reindeer husbandry is often carried out in combination with other industries, which makes it difficult to estimate how many people make their livings totally or partially from reindeer husbandry. Normally, some 2 500 of 20 000 Sami in Sweden are reported as having reindeer husbandry as their livelihood.
Reindeer husbandry is regulated in the Reindeer Husbandry Act, where Sami rights have been collectively referred to as reindeer husbandry rights. The Act gives the Sami the right to use land and water for their own maintenance and that of their reindeer. This right is based on tradition from time immemorial and is protected in the Swedish Constitution. It belongs to the Sami people and may be exercised by any member of a Sami village. There are 51 Sami villages for reindeer herding, whose members are entitled to pursue reindeer herding. A member of a Sami village has the right to hunt and fish on outlying land in reindeer grazing mountains in Jämtland and in the traditional grounds of the Sami people. This right to hunt or fish applies regardless of who owns the land.
In its report A new reindeer husbandry policy (SOU 2001:101), the Reindeer Husbandry Policy Committee has proposed extensive changes in areas such as the organisation of Sami villages and the administration of reindeer husbandry. The report is currently under preparation at the Government Offices.
In addition, both the Boundary Delimitation Committee report Samernas sedvanemarker (Traditional Sami lands) (SOU 2006:14) and the final report of the Hunting and Fishing Rights Inquiry Jakt och fiske i samverkan (Hunting and fishing in cooperation) (SOU:2005:116) contain proposals on how to organise the management and use of land and water, and hunting and fishing respectively ,in traditional Sami areas. The referral period for these reports will end in December 2006, after which the proposals will be considered at the Government Offices.
Reindeer husbandry is supported through such measures as government surcharges on reindeer meat and compensation for certain extra costs resulting from the Chernobyl disaster. Damages to reindeer husbandry caused by wild animals are compensated under the Damages to game ordinance (2001:724).
Since 1883, cross-border reindeer grazing has been regulated via agreements between Sweden and Norway. The latest agreement from 1972 ceased to apply in 2005. The then Government did not consider that the Convention should be extended but chose instead to apply the 'Lapp Codicil' from 1751 as the basis for cross-border grazing. Negotiations between Norway and Sweden on a new reindeer grazing convention are still underway.
