The Reindeer Husbandry Committee, which will propose a new reindeer husbandry law, believes that the Sami communities have a greater right than the state to permit hunting and fishing in the mountains of Lapland. But Sami communities in the south should also be given the same rights.

SVT News has taken note of the draft of the Renmark Inquiry's interim report, which will be presented in August.

The documents show that the management of the inquiry has concluded that the actual right to permit hunting and fishing in the mountains belongs to the Sami communities in Lapland and that they should take over the right to lease small game hunting and fishing in the mountains.

"If that is the case, it is very gratifying. Because that was our absolute view when we (Girjas Sami village, editor's note) sued the state about hunting and fishing leasing rights, says Matti Blind Berg, chairman of the Sami Communities organization, Swedish Sami National Association SSR and former chairman of Girjas Sami village.

Hunters' Association critical

But the fact that the Sami communities in the Lapland mountains should have the right to decide on hunting and fishing in the mountains is something the Hunters' Association is very critical of.

"We don't make the same assessment. We are concerned that it will be an unpredictable system. That it becomes more expensive and less hunting available and that it affects hunting and fish conservation, says Anders Lacobæus, the hunters' association mountain council.

Discordant politicians

It is not clear what the final interim report will look like. The politicians in the reindeer land committee do not agree. According to information, M, SD and KD want to have reservations about the proposals in the investigation.

"We have come a long way in our work as the investigation will soon be presented," says Eric M Runssson, chairman of the inquiry and also a justice of the Supreme Court.

SVT has sought the representatives of SD, KD and M who do not want to comment on the investigation.

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Should the Sami communities be given the right to decide who hunts in the mountains? In the video you get a summary of the reindeer land investigation – in 60 seconds. Photo: Texturelabs/Pixabay