Norway has an animal problem: Reindeer keep crossing the border to Russia – the neighboring country is demanding compensation payments in the millions.
Norway has announced plans to strengthen its border with Russia. However, the background is not the tensions between the Russian state and the West – at least not directly. Rather, the measures have an animal background.
Because reindeer keep crossing the border – much to the dismay of the Norwegian authorities. “It is strictly forbidden to cross the border into Russia, including for reindeer,” Norway’s Agriculture Directorate said in a statement.
The problem: The reindeer migrating from Norway to Russia create a lot of bureaucracy. This is because the Russians charge the Norwegian authorities for the reindeer’s stay. Norway has already received two compensation applications for the loss of pasture land, with a total cost of several million euros.
Lump sum of four million euros for grazing reindeer
One application is for nearly 50,000 kronor ($5,000) per reindeer that came to Russia to graze in the Pasvik Zapovednik nature reserve in Russia’s Murmansk region. According to Norwegian information, 42 animals have already gone to Russia this year, 40 of which are already back in Norway. Two are expected back shortly.
The second claim is almost 47 million crowns (4 million euros). This is a lump sum for the days that the animals were in a park and grazed there.
Working on the fence is a challenge
The Russian-Norwegian border stretches a total of 150 kilometers. The reindeer barrier is now to be strengthened over a distance of seven kilometers. The construction is challenging because the workers are only allowed to stand on the Norwegian side. If a worker entered Russian territory without a Russian visa, it would be illegal entry, said Magnar Evertsen of Norway’s Directorate of Agriculture.
The trip to Russia also had consequences for the reindeer. They were slaughtered for fear they will migrate back to Russia, according to Evertsen from the Directorate of Agriculture.
