Reindeer Husbandry and Barents 2030

DEVELOPMENT TODAY

The Arctic has undergone major changes in develop- ment since 1900. The exploitation of natural resourc- es and the associated infrastructure development has resulted in substantial fragmentation of Arctic habitats. Development rates have been particularly high in the Barents Region, which is now the region in the Arctic and sub-Arctic with the highest devel- opment pressure. Within the Barents Region, there are clear differences in extent of development. The development pressure has been particularly high in Southern Sámi regions and the coastal regions of Northern Norway and the Gulf of Bothnia. The coastal belt is virtually unprotected against develop- ment and the majority of national parks and other protected areas are located inland. The areas that have been protected are generally those of low eco- nomic importance.

Development in the Barents Region includes roads, power lines, dams, military and communication facili- ties, recreational cabins, pipelines, forestry and exten- sive logging roads. Since the early 1990s more than 800 recreational cabins have been constructed annu- ally in Norwegian reindeer herding areas alone (Lie et al . 2006), resulting in extensive recreational traffic. In the majority of the cases the herders have little influence on the development (Lie et al. 2006). Indeed, windmill parks, power lines and roads are currently being devel- oped without any common policy or plans to secure traditional grazing land for Sámi reindeer husbandry (UNEP 2001; CAFF, 2002; Jernsletten and Klokov 2002; UNEP and EEA 2004). This will be increasingly impor- tant to get in place as the petroleum reserves of the Barents Sea will accelerate coastal development along the Norwegian and Russian coast in coming decades.

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