“This is the largest nødoperasjonen we have had, and the most serious beitekrisen in recent times,” says Sunna Marie Pentha, reindriftsdirektør with the County governor of Troms and Finnmark.
Since Friday have five helicopters flown feed out to a number of reinflokker on the winter pastures, in Kautokeino and Karasjok in Finnmark.
Nødoperasjonen acts as an air-bridge. The pilots go on shift, and the helicopters flying continuously with the feed to the reindeer, as long as it is light and weather conditions.
Flying out 250 tons of feed
Each helicopter can only carry one fôrsekk of 800 kilos at a time.
Sunna Marie Pentha is reindriftsdirektør with the County governor of Troms and Finnmark.
Photo: Knut-Sverre Horn / NRK
According to the plan, a total of 250 tons of feed to be transported out to the 20 sidaer in the county of Finnmark – from the depots in both the Kautokeino and Karasjok.
– so Far, we have flown out 130 tonnes, so we are over halfway, ” says Pentha.
the Operation started after a request to the Defense from the County governor in Troms and Finnmark. On assignment from the Norwegian Armed forces transporting five helicopters from Helitrans feed out to the reinflokkene.
– so Far we’ve been lucky with the weather, but it’s a pretty extensive operation. It varies between 25 and 90 kilometres one way, so it had taken the time to get it out on the snowmobiles, ” says the coordinator of the Helitrans, Jens Ivar Hauge.
Nils Henrik Berries with the food that has been flown in to the reindeer herd in Karasjok.
Photo: Jan Helmer Olsen
this Year’s beitekrise have for several months been serious for reindriftsutøvere in the North of Norway and parts of the county.
Reindeer on the vast expanses can’t find food because of the abnormal amount of and hard-packed snow.
It is not unusual that it dies many reindeer during the winter, but this year’s crisis stands out.
In the last year searched 514 reineiere for the replacement of 69.000 tame that they assumed was taken by rovvilt in the operational year 2017/18. In excess of 21.000 animals were replaced. Research shows, however, that most people die of disease and hunger.
this year the government has estimated that as many as 160.000 reindeer can die because of beitekrisen.
– Comes not down to the food,
According to the Pentha has almost all of the reindeer herding districts of Troms and Finnmark signed into reinbeitekrise.
Before it was decided to put into helicopters in the last week, carried several of the reindeer herders even out the linings to the can in order to avoid mass death.
In Finnmark we have 148.000 clean. It could have gone right bad if reindeer did not feed their animals. There are several meters of snow on the plateau and the reindeer don’t come down to the food.
the reindeer herd in Karasjok eat food that has been flown in by helicopter. Much and hard-packed snow has made for beitekrise in large parts of Northern Norway.
Photo: Jan Helmer Olsen – Expensive surgery
however, This was a time-consuming and challenging solution, as several of the reinbeitedistriktene located far away from the nearest road.
the Red Cross assisted with a voluntary redningskorps that transported feed to the hungry reindeer, before the helicopters were inserted.
– This is a kjempekostbar operation. We are talking ABOUT several million. Reineierne is satisfied, but several people have asked if we could not come before. That I understand well, but we have been working a while to make this, tell Pentha.
In the first place to the helicopters fly feed for Wednesday, but reindriftsdirektøren does not preclude that the operation can be prolonged.
– When we have got out this lining is reindeer rock to over easter. In the course of the week, we’ll take an assessment on whether we continue also after it, ” says Sunna Marie Pentha.
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