Sámi Demand Protection of Reindeer in Sweden
The indigenous peoples' parliament calls for measures such as lower speed limits and more fencing.
The Swedish Sámi Parliament is calling for greater protection for reindeer, after more than 10,000 reindeer were killed by motorists over the past five years, turning roadsides into «animal graveyards».
According to police, between October 2018 and October 2023 there were more than 10’000 traffic accidents in northern Sweden involving at least one reindeer, meaning the number of animals killed is likely far higher.
The most severely affected area was the road between Skröven and Moskojärvi, located southeast of the northern city of Kiruna.
The Sámi people are recognised by the Swedish government as an indigenous people, and the elected parliament, which advocates for the interests of Sámi culture, is based in Kiruna.
The reindeer, which migrate from the mountains to lower-lying areas in winter, are attracted by the salt spread on roads to prevent icing — roads that have seen increasingly heavy traffic in recent years due to growing industrial activity such as mining.
Jan Rannerud, chair of the reindeer husbandry committee in the Sámi Parliament, said that more measures were needed to protect the 200’000 to 300’000 reindeer, including lower speed limits and more wildlife fences and wildlife crossings.
«Of course it is very sad for those affected», said Rannerud, who has worked with reindeer his entire life, the last 45 years as a herder. «It is a heavy burden to watch your animals being run over.»
He attributed this to an enormous increase in traffic and higher driving speeds. The climate crisis also contributes, as wet snow drives the herds into areas where major roads exist.
The Sami Parliament has expressed its concern about the changing conditions in reindeer herding as a result of global warming, as rising temperatures make winter snow conditions more difficult for the transport and feeding of reindeer.
Reindeer herding plays an important role in the Sami community. Rannerud said the relationship with the reindeer is often individual, and some reindeer are so tame that you can almost pat them on the back».
He attributed the state's inaction in protecting reindeer to money, saying it was cheaper to pay the few thousand kroner for a dead reindeer than to build a fence costing several million kroner.
Joacim Lundqvist, a wildlife coordinator with the police, said it is normal to see dead reindeer by the roadside. He said reindeer cannot survive traffic accidents and have to be put down.
«It is terrible. They lie there like in an animal cemetery», he said. «In some places you can see 10 to 15 reindeer on a short stretch of road.
The police, other authorities and the Sami villages must find solutions, he said. «The situation as it is now is escalating and is untenable.»
