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Abstract
The article examines key actors' perceptions on why Norwegian policy objectives aimed at securing sustainable reindeer husbandry through participation have failed in West Finnmark. Based on government documents, media debates, and interviews with the actors, the authors identify two competing narratives on why there are ‘too many reindeer’ despite continued state efforts at destocking. The dominant narrative claims that participation is unsuccessful because herders do not accept expert advice, but increase their herds for personal gain. The Sámi pastoralists' counter-narrative claims that lack of transparency hinders participation and policy implementation. Inspired by political ecology and perspectives on governance within development studies, the authors examine why the government's narrative dominates public debates, while the counter-narrative remains marginalized. They find that the dominant narrative frames destocking as an apolitical and objective measure based on unequivocal scientific advice, while the pastoralists’ rejection of such advice is presented as ignorant and irrational. The dominant narrative's authority is further increased by numerous press reports (repeated in social media) of overstocking threatening biodiversity and economic development. The authors conclude that due to the persistence of the dominant narrative, it has become an undisputed truth in Norwegian debates that Sámi pastoralists are overstocking to maximize their benefits.
Acknowledgements
This study is part of the project titled ‘The economics and land-use conflicts in Sámi reindeer herding in Finnmark: Exploring the alternatives (Dávggas)’, supported by the Research Council of Norway (grant number 215961). We express our appreciation of the reindeer herders, state officials, and others who shared their experiences and insights with us. We also thank Emil Sandström and John-Andrew McNeish for their advice and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive input.
Editors: Paul Robbins, Catriona Turner, Michael Jones
Notes
1 The Norwegian Reindeer Husbandry Administration, organized as part of the LMD, functions as secretariat for the Reindeer Husbandry Board. In July 2014 the Reindeer Husbandry Administration was merged with the Norwegian Agricultural Authority (Statens landbruksforvaltning) and became the Norwegian Agriculture Agency (Landbruksdirektoratet) (Landbruks- og matdepartementet Citation2014a).
2 The overall objective of the strategy ‘is to create sustainable growth and development in the High North’ (Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Citation2006, 7). In the follow-up to this strategy there has been a strong focus on facilitating a ‘new industrial age in the High North’ (Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Citation2011, 15).
3 An epistemological approach in qualitative studies that provides a strategy for developing theories grounded in empirical knowledge and induction (Svarstad Citation2010).
4 A copy of the letter was requested from the archives of the LMD and the Reindeer Husbandry Administration and was received in March 2014.
5 Copy received in October 2013 of letter dated 15 April 2012 from the herders’ lawyer to the Reindeer Husbandry Administration.
6 A copy of the letter dated 18 June 2013 was provided by a member of Kautokeino Municipal Council.
7 A copy of the letter dated was provided by the recipient in October 2013.
8 Based on instructions and guidance from the LMD, the Reindeer Husbandry Administration developed guidelines on how to interpret the 2007 Act and procedures for issuing orders for reindeer number reductions (Reindriftsstyret, ‘Grunnlagsdokument – Reindriftsloven §60 – Vedtak om pålegg om forholdsmessig reduksjon. 63/12. Møtedato: 6. desember 2012’; copy of the document provided by the Reindeer Husbandry Administration from the archives of the LMD and the Administration). The guidelines were adopted by the Reindeer Husbandry Board.