The government’s work with the wild reindeer registration has been an involving and thorough process. The report documents solid knowledge and a good review of the challenges. It is clear what must be done to save the wild reindeer. Unfortunately, the politicians’ proposals for measures are shamefully weak, non-binding or lacking. They are not in line with the knowledge and research recommendations, and will probably not contribute to rapid, real improvements for the wild reindeer. The government’s message and the Storting’s treatment are bad news, perhaps it is not even enough to ensure the wild reindeer’s survival! Wild reindeer need a lot of space. The main challenges for the species are a long-standing and persistent reduction in land use, which has led to many small and fragmented habitats. When migration routes are blocked by huts, roads and other human activity, the necessary migrations of the clouded reindeer are prevented. Research shows that barriers must be removed. Living areas must be recreated if the wild reindeer are to get better. Here the politicians fail. They decide to continue the area reduction. They recognize that land loss is a problem and that the wild reindeer areas are in poor ecological condition. But the politicians continue to accept the destructive bit-by-bit degradation of nature through municipal decisions and bad projects. The reindeer is a responsible species, which means that Norway has a special responsibility to protect the species. There is therefore a need for a national conservation strategy. The Environment Agency must be given an overall responsibility that gives municipalities and counties tighter frameworks, in order to avoid development in and near the wild reindeer areas. The simplest management measure is to prohibit all new interventions. It can be done quickly, and the land loss would stop. Restoration of nature is more time-consuming, but could start now in areas where we have enough knowledge for rapid improvements. Also for longer-term restoration, planning and start-up could take place quickly, even if the real ecological improvements are somewhat further in time. Neither the government nor the Storting will stop the area reduction, nor will they start restoring living areas. The politicians want to stop the negative development in six years, and in the year 2100 the goal is a good ecological condition. These are far too weak targets. It takes time to change management and recreate nature. Conservation of wild reindeer is incompatible with new interventions in their habitats. Politicians think it is okay to build more cabins, mine and hydropower development. This despite the fact that all research has concluded the opposite for over 20 years. The Government and the Storting had a unique opportunity to make a quick effort, but in particular five obvious main steps are missing: They are not stopping new land encroachments. They have few ambitions for nature restoration. Plan washing could be imposed in all wild reindeer municipalities with a requirement to remove bad plans. The measures do not meet the urgent needs that research and knowledge reveal. Politicians could adopt significant traffic restrictions, including the reversal of motor traffic. Some measures and measures in the message are satisfactory, but weaknesses and shortcomings are the real challenge. The politicians believe that the wild reindeer mountain can still be destroyed by construction if they “take the wild reindeer into account”. It goes against all ecological knowledge. Major tightening is needed in all types of dispensations, especially inside the national parks, but also in the whole of the wild reindeer’s habitats and fringe zones. All actors and sector interests must be given more responsibility, especially the energy industry, agriculture/sheep industry and outdoor life interests. The environmental authorities must be given overall conservation responsibility and other ministries and sectors should be subordinated to wild reindeer priorities. Furthermore, it should: Establish comprehensive ecosystem-based management plans for the wild reindeer areas that ensure subject-based, long-term management and large enough habitats. Remove the government and the Storting’s “cheating protection” which will include all national wild reindeer areas in the nature agreement’s protection target of 30 per cent. It is not professionally sustainable and not in line with the nature agreement or international requirements for protected areas to include areas that are not protected. More and stronger protection is important, but local special interests must not be allowed to stop protection extensions. Reduce motor traffic and increase supervision to combat wildlife crime. Even in today’s national parks, protection does not work well enough. Restoration could increase the proportion of undisturbed nature, which in turn could provide ecologically important areas for the wild reindeer and strengthen the mountain ecosystem and other biological diversity. This is not mentioned in the wild reindeer report. The knowledge of the wild reindeer implies the rapid initiation of a number of other measures, but to a far too large extent the politicians fail to adopt measures that are expected. It is bad news for the wild reindeer and the wild reindeer mountain. Published 12.06.2024, at 14.22
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