GIRJAS, Sweden—The SSR (national association representing Swedish Sami) said that the Sami (the indigenous people of northern Europe) have the right to hunt and fish on their land and that the state is violating the Sami’s rights by selling hunting licenses to others. Hence, the Sami village of Girjas in the north of Sweden sued the state on May 11.
“This has indirect consequences for our reindeer herding. Hunting and fishing has traditionally been a second income for reindeer herders. The moose hunt also means money for us. If we can’t hunt moose, we’ll lose that money,” said Mr. Ingemar Blind, chairman of Girjas village.
In 1993, the Swedish government decided that small game hunting would be free for all people residing above the “arable line,” that is, the administrative border between lands designated as farmland and those that are mountainous. But the Sami believe that the right to hunt and fish is exclusively theirs and that the state is trespassing on their land.
The Sami village of Girjas hired lawyer Peter Danowsky, ranked as one of the world’s top 25 business lawyers by Expert Guides, to represent them. In an interview on Swedish state radio Mr. Danowsky said, “The investigations made thus far have shown that the legal situation is unclear. That gives us the opportunity to have this issue decided in court. Whether the outcome is that the Sami gain the sole rights or it remains shared will at last be definitively decided.”
SSR decided last year to sue the state and Girjas was the first group to act. Mr. Anders Blom, the chairman of SSR, feels that the verdict in this case will be important for all Sami villages.
“This has indirect consequences for our reindeer herding. Hunting and fishing has traditionally been a second income for reindeer herders. The moose hunt also means money for us. If we can’t hunt moose, we’ll lose that money,” said Mr. Ingemar Blind, chairman of Girjas village.
In 1993, the Swedish government decided that small game hunting would be free for all people residing above the “arable line,” that is, the administrative border between lands designated as farmland and those that are mountainous. But the Sami believe that the right to hunt and fish is exclusively theirs and that the state is trespassing on their land.
The Sami village of Girjas hired lawyer Peter Danowsky, ranked as one of the world’s top 25 business lawyers by Expert Guides, to represent them. In an interview on Swedish state radio Mr. Danowsky said, “The investigations made thus far have shown that the legal situation is unclear. That gives us the opportunity to have this issue decided in court. Whether the outcome is that the Sami gain the sole rights or it remains shared will at last be definitively decided.”
SSR decided last year to sue the state and Girjas was the first group to act. Mr. Anders Blom, the chairman of SSR, feels that the verdict in this case will be important for all Sami villages.
