Finnish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Mr. Juha Korkeaoja, stated in a press release today, that Metsähallitus' harvest levels in Upper Lapland should not be decreaced, because “also the Sámi people need jobs provided by all the livelihoods.”

Minister affirmed further that “during the last three decades the logging levels of Metsähallitus have decreased by 40 % due to concessions to reindeer herding and nature conservation, when at the same time the amount of the reindeer has over doubled. A decrease in Metsähallitus' logging would not bring any resolution to the present problems of the reindeer herding.” Minister also proposed, that the conflict should be solved in Metsähallitus' own Natural Resources Plan process.

FANC regrets that the minister in charge of protecting reindeer herding represents such one-sided views. The harvest levels of Metsähallitus have decreased in Upper Lapland because the levels were clearly unsustainable in the 1970s and 80s. Only a small share of productive pine forests are protected in Upper Lapland. The most productive pine forests of Upper Lapland are in the area of Inari basin, almost all of which are in forestry use. The number of reindeer, in turn, is decided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The reason for the increase in reindeer numbers after the 1970s is the especially high number of reindeer deaths in early 1970s because of a parasitic epidemy.

The conflict between reindeer herding and the State forestry is caused by the effects of forestry on old-growth forests used by reindeer herding. In those reindeer herding co-operatives, where the most important food in the late winter is tree-hanging lichen, the old-growth forests are of crucial importance. Tree hanging lichen is only abundant in forests over 100 years old.

For five reindeer co-operatives and one sub-group in Inari and the co-operative of Lappi in Sodankylä the situation has become so severe that since 2002 the co-operatives have frequently appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Metsähallitus to stop the logging of important winter grazing areas. The co-operatives consider that Metsähallitus' Natural Resource Plans can not solve the conflict.

"We have seen one round of Metsähallitus Natural Resource Planning, and our needs were not been considered there. It is not possible to protect the preconditions of reindeer herding in this process, and not even agree on what those preconditions actually are. Only the reindeer herders have exact information of the preconditions of the livelihood, and our views are apparently not trusted", says Outi Jääskö from the Muotkatunturi co-operative.

"Of course all the jobs are important also for the Sámi people, and the co-operatives do not want to cut the jobs of the lumberjacks. We appeal to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, that it would set clear frames for Metsähallitus forestry, so that both the jobs of the reindeer herding and the lumberjacks will be saved", continues Jääskö.

“It is really regrettable, that despite all emergency calls from co-operatives the Minister does not take their message seriously at all, but is still denying the harmful effects of logging to reindeer herding”, says Forest Campaigner Sini Harkki from FANC.

For more information, please contact:

• Sini Harkki, FANC, tel. +358 50 582 1107
• Outi Jääskö, Muotkatunturi reindeer herding co-operative, tel. +358 40 844 6219