Norway plans to cull 71,000 farmed reindeer to protect winter pastures

Government cull targets and agreement

The Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture announced on Friday, 2 October 2026, that it has set a target to cull 71,000 farmed reindeer across the country during the 2026–2027 season. This quota amounts to roughly one in four farmed reindeer in Norway. The figure represents an increase of 10,000 animals compared to the cull limits authorized in the prior year. The target is the direct result of a formal agreement negotiated between the Norwegian government and the national reindeer herders' organisation. The agreed reduction will be carried out over the coming autumn and winter months as herding communities implement the new seasonal slaughter guidelines.

Pasture preservation and winter herd management

The agreement specifies that an expanded slaughter plan will serve two primary economic and pastoral objectives: boosting national reindeer meat production and lifting overall financial revenues for livestock herders. At the same time, reducing overall herd numbers is intended to alleviate intense grazing pressure on limited winter pastures across northern rangelands. The Norwegian government is placing particular emphasis on the slaughter of calves during this cycle. Selecting calves before the onset of winter means herders will not need to provide supplemental feed throughout the cold season, while also shielding vulnerable young animals from predator attacks in the wild. The authorities have established a system of additional financial incentives and state subsidies for herders who successfully achieve the designated production and slaughter quotas.

Geographic concentration and Sámi traditions

Norway's total farmed reindeer population currently stands at approximately 250,000 animals, with the vast majority living in the northern part of the country. A dominant share of 185,000 reindeer is concentrated in the northernmost county of Finnmark, situated entirely north of the Arctic Circle. Reindeer herding in the region is traditionally carried out by the Sámi, the indigenous people of Scandinavia. Sámi herders graze their animals on open terrain across large parts of the year, guiding herds along established migration routes between distinct seasonal pastures in the Arctic landscape.

Land-use disputes and the Øyfjellet court ruling

The presentation of the cull targets was scheduled immediately ahead of domestic debates over how to balance traditional reindeer husbandry with the construction of wind energy facilities. In the summer of 2026, the Hålogaland Court of Appeal in Tromsø in northern Norway ruled against energy developers by invalidating the concession permit for the Øyfjellet wind farm, the largest wind power installation in the nation. The appellate court concluded that the operational and environmental impacts of building the wind power plant on local reindeer grazing had not been evaluated to an adequate standard by state regulators. The legal conflict reflects ongoing friction between renewable energy projects and traditional pastoral migration routes in northern Norway.