The Sámi Reindeer Forests of Arctic Lapland are amongst the few remaining areas of ancient forest left in Europe.
So much is at stake here - the Reindeer Forest is under siege by the Finnish government's own logging company, Metsähallitus. Sámi reindeer herding co-operatives have identified areas of forest vital for the free grazing of reindeer - areas that continue to be logged by Metsähallitus. Up to 70% of the timber logged by Metsähallitus in Sámi areas goes into the production of pulp and paper - ending up as magazine and copy paper throughout Europe.
In Inari, Sámi reindeer herding communities are now taking action to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. A team of Greenpeace activists has joined forces with the herding co-operatives, to help save these last areas of Reindeer Forest.
February 4, 2009
Finnish government plans to restart logging in reindeer grazing forests in Inari
After a long period of peace in ancient forests in Inari, the forest dispute seems to be starting all over again. Two reindeer herding co-operatives in Saami area have sent out press release saying that government´s forestry enterprise Metsahallitus is planning to start logging in the disputed reindeer grazing forests. Read the press release from the reindeer herder´s website at www.inarinpaliskunnat.org
Posted by Max at 5:55 PM
June 13, 2007
Stora Enso excluded from ethical fund
Stora Enso's purchase of wood from Saami reindeer grazing areas in the Inari area in Upper Lapland has prompted an Italian Ethical Fund – Banca Etica – to exclude Stora Enso from its ethical investment portfolio, tells Saami Council in their press release.
Photos from ongoing logging operations can be viewed in Flickr.
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Posted by Max at 5:28 PM
June 5, 2007
See Last Yoik in Saami Forests - documentary preview
Documentary film by Union of Ecoforestry in Finland and Saami Council is available as DVD. You can order your copy from Union of Ecoforestry website. Short introduction can be viewed in YouTube
Posted by Max at 11:00 AM
May 31, 2007
Logging restarted in the disputed forests
Logging has restarted in the disputed Saami reindeer forests in Inari. Finnish state has decided to continue the destruction of old-growth wilderness forests in Kessi. Photos from current logging operations can be viewed in the Finnish weblog. Read what Saami Council has to say.
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Posted by Max at 1:53 PM
September 27, 2006
Photos from planned logging sites in Kessi wilderness
Finnish governmental forestry service Metsahallitus is planning logging in the wilderness forests of Kessi. The buyer of old-growth forest wood is most likely Botnia pulp mill in Kemi, supplying M-Real´s Kemiart mills. See photos taken in planned logging sites.
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Posted by Max at 4:19 PM
Reindeer herders in Inari: most recent negotiations with Metsähallitus failed
Forestry enterprise Metsahallitus has since August been logging in crucially important reindeer grazing forests in Muddusjärvi reindeer herding co-operative´s area. According to the reindeer herders, Metsähallitus did not negotiate about the logging plans and the opinions of the herders were not taken into account.
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Posted by Max at 1:42 PM
June 22, 2006
Inari reindeer herders disappointed on Natural Resources Plan
Joint working group of Inari reindeer herding co-operatives sent out a press release on June 21st. They are disappointed on the Natural Resources Plan of Metsähallitus. The reindeer herders call for negotiations, but Metsähallitus will start logging in August.
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Posted by Max at 3:24 PM
June 18, 2006
Metsähallitus plans to restart logging in disputed areas
Forestry enterprise Metsahallitus is preparing to restart logging in the disputed old-growth forests in Inari. Logging sites and roadline-plans have been marked in reindeer grazing forests in Hammastunturi and Paatsjoki reindeer herding co-operative´s areas. Metsahallitus has not negotiated with the reindeer herders about the loggings. There are hundreds of occurrences of red-listed species in the planned logging sites.
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Posted by Max at 6:04 PM
May 17, 2006
Saami Council releases video-reportage
The Saami Council presents a video reportage about logging in reindeer forests in Inari. The Last Yoik in Saami Forests?- report will be presented in connection on the fifth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues held in New York from 15 to 26 May.
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Posted by Max at 2:15 PM
February 23, 2006
Finnish forest industry being supplied with conflict timber again
Governmental forestry enterprise Metsähallitus is transporting logs from old-growth forests and reindeer forest areas to pulp and paper industry again. Wood logged from conflict areas has been transported to storage-areas, railway stations and loaded into trains destined for Metsa-Botnia pulp mill in Kemi.
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Posted by Max at 11:16 AM
January 21, 2006
"Skábma" in Inari
It's the darkest time of the year - "skábma" in Sámi language. Since Christmas week, however, it has been getting more light up in Inari, even though this week has been record cold. Since the UN Human Rights commission forbade logging in Nellim, the state owned forestry enterprise Metsähallitus has started and expanded logging in the other threatened reindeer forests in the municipality.
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Posted by Satu Pitkanen at 4:12 PM
November 29, 2005
Protest at Stora Enso mill in the Netherlands
Greenpeace activists from four different European countries protested today at the Stora Enso mill in Wapenweld in the Netherlands. The protest was aimed at the unsustainable way the company acquires timber from Upper Lapland in Finland. The activists painted the words "forest crime" on the factory wall, on top of the company logo. Even though timber deliveries to Stora Enso have for the time being been stopped, the company has not been willing to take a decision not to buy timber from the disputed areas. The Netherlands together with Germany, Great Britain and Italy is one of the most important clients of Finnish paper industry.
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Posted by Satu Pitkanen at 2:18 PM
November 27, 2005
Update from Lapland
On Monday, 14th November, the UN Human Rights Committee forbade the continuing logging in Nellim, Inari. The decision was delivered to the government of Finland and is temporary. The decision was taken in order to be able to secure a fair trial for the three reindeer herders who sued Metsähallitus and who were demanded a guarantee sum of over one million euros for the termination of logging in their grazing forests. The Finnish government has half a year to answer the committee on alleged human rights violations.
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Posted by Satu Pitkanen at 5:03 PM
November 11, 2005
Response to actions
The actions taking place this week created a variety of different kind of response. Both the Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture and Metsähallitus announced that they are not breaking any laws and that they continue negotiations with reindeer herders about planned loggings. However on 8th November a representative of the Ministry, Mr Aarne Reunala, admitted in a radio interview that their negotiations are "not really true" and that the negotiations terminated in June have not been continued. "It's rather discussion but not negotiation, one might say", Mr Reunala said. Perhaps it's righteous to say that the Ministry has somewhat stretched the truth in its press release?
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Posted by Satu Pitkanen at 4:54 PM
November 10, 2005
Paper ship stopped in Lübeck
Antares, the freight ship carrying fine paper originating from old growth reindeer forests in Northern Finland, was stopped from entering Lübeck harbour early this morning. Greenpeace activists from several different European countries tried to stop the ship already on Monday when it was loading cargo in Kemi, Finland. Upon its arrival to Germany more activists blocked the entrance way to Lübeck harbour, forcing the ship to turn back to sea. Activists are protesting against the unsustainable way of acquiring timber by the cargo holder, paper and pulp giant Stora Enso.
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Posted by Satu Pitkanen at 10:50 AM
November 7, 2005
Action for ancient forests in Kemi harbour
Early on Monday morning six Greenpeace inflatables together with swimmers and climbers surrounded a freight ship carrying paper from Stora Enso's mill in Kemi. The ship was scheduled to leave Veitsiluoto harbour for Germany, but due to the activists' resistance the ship was delayed until the evening. The police joint forces with the coast guard, customs and fire brigade to bring down the climbers and to arrest all boat crews, thereby allowing export of paper originating from the last remaining ancient forests in Europe.
Stora Enso was against buying timber from Sámi reindeer forests last spring when the company was contacted by Greenpeace. After the the state owned forestry enterprise Metsähallitus terminated negotiations with reindeer herders in June Stora Enso has however continued buying timber originating from the disputed area.
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Posted by Satu Pitkanen at 7:01 PM
October 30, 2005
Metsähallitus ignores court order
On 26th October the district court in Lapland ordered that all logging has to be stopped in the reindeer grazing forests in Nellim, Inari. According to the Finnish National Broadcasting news, Yle, Metsähallitus is not going to stop its logging operations unless it gets an official "final decision" by the rural police chief of Inari.
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Posted by Satu Pitkanen at 11:53 AM
October 28, 2005
Metsähallitus logs again in reindeer forests
As the moratorium on logging in the mapped forests was terminated in June, the state owned forestry enterprise Metsähallitus has started logging operations in several co-operatives' areas. The first loggings took place in August, and in October the reindeer herding co-operatives found more grazing forests marked for logging.
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Posted by Satu Pitkanen at 10:19 PM
September 8, 2005
Saami Council takes action
On August 30th, the Saami Council announced that it is asking StoraEnso to stop buying timber logged from reindeer grazing forests. The Saami Council is shocked by the decision of Metsähallitus to start logging again in the reindeer grazing areas, which are essential to the Saami reindeer herding cooperatives. If the logging continues, at the same rate it has been for the last few decades, the present generation will be the last one to herd reindeer in the traditional way of the Saami, says the Saami Council.
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Posted by Eini Kosonen at 8:35 AM
June 16, 2005
Metsähallitus terminates negotiations and moratorium in Upper Lapland
Last week Metsähallitus the Finnish state-owned logging company terminated formal negotiations with the Sámi reindeer herding co-operatives. The moratorium on logging in the mapped areas has also been terminated by Metsähallitus.
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Posted by Eini Kosonen at 1:05 PM
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