National parks in conflict with reindeer industry
An 1800 square kilometres national park was opened in north-eastern Norway last weekend by the Norwegian Minister of Environment, Eirik Solheim. However, the president of the Sami Parliament, Egil Olli, is sceptical to the establishment of several national parks in Sami areas.
The recently openend national park in eastern Finnmark called Varanger Peninsula National Park is situated in an area which the Norwegian Sami people also are using for reindeer industry. The president of the Sami Parliament, Egil Olli, says to NRK that he believes that this national park could be the last one in a Sami area.
- With the establishment of a national park there will also be introduced restrictions for the people using the area. Therefore it is very important for us that the interests of the local population and the Sami people are ensured, says Olli.
Olli fears that more national parks will infect and make it harder for Sami people to continue with reindeer industry.
The Minister of the Environment, Eirik Solheim, can not promise Olli that this newly opened national park is the last one in Sami areas. However, he promises that the government will have a close cooperation with the Sami Parliament on possible conflicts related to new national parks. The Government has a plan to establish 16 new national parks in Norway over the next years.
