Northern Norway is a popular destination for tourists from all over the world. Here there is the midnight sun, high mountain peaks and beautiful surroundings. But not all visitors check into hotels. Two German tourists had pitched a tent and parked their bicycles in the middle of the field of Bjørg Kari Arneberg Jensen. It did not go down well. – Suddenly I saw a tent that had come up. In the middle of the field. She describes her feelings as “hysterical anger”. – Is it possible, is it possible for people to settle down and just walk in the middle of the field? Jensen was on her way by car towards Stokmarknes when she spotted the tourists. She didn’t have time to stop the car. Jensen called the replacement to ask him to go and talk to the tourists. Afraid of bacteria When someone walks, drives or sets up a tent on land, the feed that Bjørg Kari’s cows should have received can be destroyed. – The grass has subsided. They have broken the grass and it will not rise again. But by the second stroke, it will hopefully recover. It was Bladet Vesterålen that mentioned the case first. Bjørg Kari Arneberg Jensen despairs over lost resources after tourists settled on her land. Photo: SYNNØVE SORTE But it is not just the grass that is being lost. Jensen has invested in the crop in several ways: – It is a waste to haul out artificial fertilizer and drive out dung on that particular spot. Although the financial loss is not to be underestimated, Bjørg Kari was most afraid of the bacteria that could have arrived if the tourists had left there. – What I was most afraid of was that they had left faeces, because of all the bacteria that foreigners can have that we don’t have. In agriculture, there are very strict rules when it comes to bacteria, both inside and outside the barn. TENT ON INLAND FIELD: Even with a public right, you cannot set up the tent anywhere. Cultivated land is considered inland. In order to camp inland, you must have permission from the landowner. Photo: Jens Andre Mehammer Birkeland Faeces and food remains Researcher and veterinarian at the Veterinary Institute, Hannah Joan Jørgensen, supports Jensen’s concerns. – It is true that when camping tourists settle on a field, they can theoretically contaminate the animals’ feed. There is mostly little probability of this, but the possible consequences for the animal and the farmer can be great. Jørgensen says it is not only the faeces that can be a problem, but also brought food. – There are examples from other countries where the dreaded animal disease African swine fever has been spread to pigs in new areas through foodstuffs such as cured sausages and the like that people have brought with them. Hannah Joan Jørgensen says there is generally little likelihood of the animal feed being contaminated by camping tourists. Photo: Mari M. Press / Veterinary Institute She points out, however, that it is not only foreign tourists who can pose a risk of infection for the animals. – Some current infectious agents are also found in humans in Norway. In addition, traveling Norwegians can also bring home new infectious agents. But if the bacteria have found their way to the soil, it is still possible to prevent disease. Julie Enebo Grimstad, acting section head for animal health in the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, says that although there may be harmful bacteria or viruses in human faeces, temperature and weather conditions will help limit the danger. – In addition, grazing animals will to some extent avoid eating contaminated feed. Grimstad says that animal owners can also help to limit the risk of infection by removing visible dung in a grazing area where camping has been observed. Julie Enebo Grimstad in the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Photo: Privat Will put up signs Fortunately, the tourists at Nordnes in Sortland had not lost their way in the tall grass, which was supposed to be fodder for the cows of Bjørg Kari and her husband. – They apologized so much and paid a symbolic sum for the damage they had caused to the land. Jensen says that they have been bothered by tourists who have both driven onto the land and now also camped there. – We will put up a sign. For now, it will be electric fenced and then I will hang a sign that says no camping. Rules for overnight stays in nature The General Court gives you the right to travel and stay in the countryside in Norway, as long as the travel is done considerately and with due caution. Nevertheless, there are a few things you must keep in mind if you are going to spend the night in nature. In the outback, you can set up a tent or hammock, but no closer than 150 meters from the nearest inhabited house or cabin. You can camp there for up to two days. If you are on high mountains or far from built-up areas, you can camp longer. You can only set up the tent or hang up the hammock on the infield if you have permission from the landowner or user of the property. You may also want to check if there are any local regulations for where you are. Motorhome tourists outside the cemetery The tourist season is also felt at Bleik in Andøy municipality. – Quite a few tourists have arrived. You can see that the campsites are starting to get full and then there are camper vans everywhere, including there. Head of Sameiet Bleik Utmarksfelesskap, Odd Arne Andreassen, says that the tourists park in places that the residents of Bleik may not want. Including at the cemetery at Bleik. Three mobile homes are parked outside the cemetery in Bleik. Photo: TROND MARTIN NORHEIM – We don’t really have anything we can do in terms of measures other than politely asking them not to park there. There are several people who have reacted to the fact that the motorhome tourists choose to stand by the cemetery. – It’s more about what people think is okay to do. – It’s not something I would do. We see that there are foreign cars, so maybe they have a different relationship with it.
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Camping tourists set up tents on land at Nordnes in Sortland – news Nordland
