COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway is rebuilding a dilapidated reindeer fence alongside its border with Russia within the Arctic to cease the animals from wandering into the neighboring nation — expensive strolls for which Oslo has to compensate Moscow over lack of grassland.
Norwegian officers mentioned Thursday that to this point this yr, 42 reindeer have crossed into Russia searching for higher pastures and grazing land.
The reindeer barrier alongside the Norway-Russia border spans 150 kilometers (93 miles) and dates again to 1954. The Norwegian Agriculture Company mentioned a stretch of about 7 kilometers (4 miles) between the Norwegian cities of Hamborgvatnet and Storskog would get replaced.
The development, with a price ticket of three.7 million kroner ($348,000), is to be accomplished by Oct. 1, the company mentioned.
The work is a problem, nonetheless, as the employees have to remain on the Norwegian facet of the border “always” throughout building, “which makes the work further demanding,” mentioned Magnar Evertsen of the company. If a employee crossed into Russian territory, and not using a Russian visa, that may quantity to unlawful entry.
A person helps construct a brand new fence alongside Norway’s border with Russia on Wednesday. Norway is re-building a bit of fence within the Arctic alongside its border with Russia to include wandering reindeer, Norwegian officers mentioned Thursday, including 42 animals have crossed into its jap neighbor in a expensive stroll this yr.
HT Gjerde Finnmark through AP
The reindeer crossings convey on a whole lot of extra paperwork. Russia has despatched two compensation claims, the company mentioned.
One claims is for practically 50,000 kroner ($4,700) per reindeer that crossed into Russia to graze within the sprawling Pasvik Zapovednik pure reserve within the Russian Murmansk area. The opposite declare is asking for a lump sum of practically 47 million kroner ($4.4 million) in whole for the times the animals grazed within the park, which consists largely of lakes, rivers, forests and marshland.
HT Gjerde Finnmark through AP
The company mentioned that of the 42 animals that entered Russia this yr, 40 have been introduced again to Norway and the remaining two are anticipated to return again quickly.
The returned animals have since been slaughtered out of worry that they might wander again to Russia, Evertsen mentioned. The Norwegian Food Security Authority might demand the carcasses be destroyed for security causes, the federal government physique mentioned in an announcement.
The reindeer are herded by the Indigenous Sami individuals in central and Arctic Norway. Previously often known as the Lapps, the Sami are believed to have originated in Central Asia and settled with their reindeer herds in Arctic Europe round 9,000 years in the past.
They historically reside in Lapland, which stretches from northern elements of Norway via Sweden and Finland to Russia. Throughout the Arctic area, the bulk reside on the Norwegian facet of the border.
