Photo: Päivi Soppela/Arctic Centre

On Monday 20th October, the first keynote speaker is Juha Joona, researcher of the Arctic Centre. He talks about reindeer herding as land use right in Finland. Joona’s research interest is aimed at local people’s various land use rights, especially in the state-owned areas in Finnish and Swedish Lapland.

On Tuesday 21st October, researcher Bård-Jørgen Bårdsen from the Norwegian Institute for Natural Research talks about the effects of climate and pasture conditions on reindeer reproduction and herd dynamics. His work has focused on how environmental conditions in combination with impacts from humans affect living organisms, with special emphasis on behavioral responses in highly seasonal environments. Annette Löf, the Chief of the Centre for Sami Research at Umeå University in Sweden, considers challenges to the notions of sustainability and the role of governance and politics. She asks whether reindeer herding can and should adapt.

Other topics of the two-day seminar are related to ecological, cultural and social questions related to reindeer herding. Also the new geographic information system, developed in Finland, will be presented.

This seminar is second in the line of Nordic reindeer husbandry seminars organized in the framework of NJF (Nordic Association of Agricultural Sciences), which is promoting research on reindeer husbandry related issues in the Nordic countries.

Organizers:
• Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland
• Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute (RKTL)
• Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE)
• Reindeer Herders' Association, Finland
• Sámi Educational Centre in Inari, Finland
• Swedish University of Agricultural Science
• Norwegian Institute for Natural Reseach

Programme of the seminar

Additional information:

Dr. Päivi Soppela, Arctic Centre
Tel. +358 40 013 8805, paivi.soppela(at)ulapland.fi

Dr. Jouko Kumpula, Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute
Tel. +358 40 016 3073, jouko.kumpula(at)rktl.fi

LaY/AK/JW