The government has proposed compensation to reindeer herders for severe snow conditions in the winter of 2019-2020.
The six-million-euro package is the first time the government has compensated shepherds for damage caused by natural forces.
According to the Sámi Parliament and the Reindeer Husbandry Association, the number is not enough. According to the association, reindeer husbandry suffered losses of 23 million euros in the winter of 2019-2020.
In addition, the government will provide the Food Agency with EUR 150,000 in additional compensation for the compensation management system.
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Jari Leppä (Cen) said in a press release that severe snow conditions have caused a lot of damage to reindeer husbandry.
"Now, after careful consideration, the government has decided to apply the Reindeer Compensation Damage Act for the first time. The compensation does not cover all losses, but it helps reindeer farmers to move forward," The alder said.
The Sámi Parliament wanted more
The Sámi Parliament called on the government to increase the compensation agreement last week, said the second vice-speaker of the parliament Leo Aikio.
"It is unreasonable that the deductibles remain so high, even though the purpose of the law is to help reindeer husbandry operators to cope with major and unexpected losses and to ensure the continuation of their business," Aikio said.
Negotiations between the government, the Sámi Parliament and the Association of Reindeer Herders during the spring had initially agreed on an amount of EUR 3.5-4 million before reaching a higher figure of six million.
"The increase is good and necessary. It pushes compensation in a fairer direction, but it is not enough," Aikio said.
A study by the Natural Resources Center (Luke) found that an estimated 15,000 reindeer died as a result of severe weather conditions in the winter of 2019-20. The workload of livestock farmers almost doubled, as did the amount of feed they needed to distribute to the animals.
The process of notifying government compensation has taken more than a year. The law on compensation for pastoral damage has been in force for about five years, but so far no compensation has been paid for damage caused by nature.
Source: The Nordic Page