The reindeer husbandry industry in Central Norway is struggling with climate change – NRK Trøndelag
Most of all, Gunilla should have been out collecting and slaughtering reindeer on the day NRK visits her at Snåsa.
This is usually what is on the program in the Påve Wilks family at this time of year. The transition between autumn and winter is collection and slaughter time for reindeer owners.
This year, on the other hand, reindeer slaughter has been severely delayed.
– We have for several weeks tried to collect the reindeer in the fence, but it has rained throughout October, Gunilla says.
The Wilks family have been reindeer owners in the northern part of Trøndelag for generations. Gunilla’s goal is to take over the profession from her parents and grandparents, but she is unsure whether climate change will ruin future plans.
Climate change is worrying
It is the heavy rain in Trøndelag this autumn that is the reason for the delays with the slaughter.
And more and more often, host sticks are sticking in the wheels of the reindeer husbandry industry. Increasingly, they experience that the weather is more intense, and that the weather changes happen faster than before.
– Here in Trøndelag, it is the case that when it has snowed for a period, it can be a sudden rain for a period, sierilla.
The warm and mild autumn creates a lack of frost and snow. It thus becomes more difficult to collect the reindeer for slaughter in the autumn and more difficult to move the reindeer to winter grazing.
The state administrator shouts warning
The State Administrator in Trøndelag is also now shouting warnings.
– The reindeer owners have traditionally been good at adapting, but not when the changes happen so fast, says Siv Merethe G. Belbo.
She is the reindeer husbandry director at the State Administrator in Trøndelag and wants increased focus on the challenges for reindeer owners.
– There are more and more challenges and conflicts for the reindeer owners in Trøndelag, says Belbo.
Little frost on the ground means, among other things, that reindeer owners cannot use snowmobiles to the same extent as before. Some reindeer owners therefore have to rent a helicopter. Which is expensive.
Many challenges for industry
The reindeer’s greatest delicacy, the reindeer lichen, also largely disappears from the winter grazing areas in many places in Trøndelag. It is outcompeted by grass, herbs and heather.
– In summer grazing, a higher tree line towards the mountains means that grass and herbs are outcompeted by, among other things, heather, according to the reindeer husbandry director.
In addition, the reindeer are more stressed by different activities in the mountains.
– We see, among other things, that the slaughter weight of reindeer has decreased in many places in Trøndelag, says Belbo.
She increased the challenge of understanding the reindeer husbandry many as a result of climate change.