100,000 Reindeer died on Finnmark plateau
The Local Norway - [email protected]
Published: 12 May, 2014 CET.
Updated: Mon 12 May 2014 23:22 CET
Scientists in Norway have raised the alarm after reports that close to 100,000 reindeer died last year on the Finnmark plateau, the heartland of Norway's Sami minority.
According to scientists at the Norwegian Institute for Nature research (NINA), the vast majority of the deer died from starvation caused by overgrazing rather than as a result of predators. Jørgen Kosmo, Norway's former auditor general on Monday attacked the country's Ministry of Agriculture for not doing more to reduce the number of deaths, which has been growing steadily for several years. "That the Ministry of Agriculture of changing governments has failed to take the necessary initiatives to reduce the number of reindeer dying is completely unacceptable," he said. "It is not possible to hand over all responsibility to the herders and believe that this will resolve itself."
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According to scientists at the Norwegian Institute for Nature research (NINA), the vast majority of the deer died from starvation caused by overgrazing rather than as a result of predators.
Jørgen Kosmo, Norway's former auditor general on Monday attacked the country's Ministry of Agriculture for not doing more to reduce the number of deaths, which has been growing steadily for several years.
"That the Ministry of Agriculture of changing governments has failed to take the necessary initiatives to reduce the number of reindeer dying is completely unacceptable," he said. "It is not possible to hand over all responsibility to the herders and believe that this will resolve itself."
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