Kemin-Sompio

Chief of District: Kavakka Mika
Mobile: +358 400 211 861
Email: mika.kavakka@gmail.com

Kemin-Sompio reindeer herding cooperative is part of the Kemijärvi reindeer marking district. The cooperative is located to the Savukoski municipality and partially to Sodankylä.

The cooperative borders in north with Russia. In east with Pohjois-Salla, in south with Salla and in west with Oraniemi and Lappi cooperatives.

90.9 % of the cooperative’s total area is state land and 9.1 % is owned by other landowners.

Sokli phosphate mine has been planned to Savukoski since 1967, when the ore was found. In the past few years the project has been under Yara Suomi Oy. In addition to phosphate, the ore body has iron, manganese, niobium, tantalum and uranium. If the mine will be build, it will take broad pasture areas from the cooperative. The circulation of the reindeer between different areas would be disturbed and the cooperative would have to change their ways of herding permanently. In addition, situated to the beginning of River Kemijoki, the Sokli mine has many unresolved environmental risks related to chemicals and radioactivity. These are the reasons Kemin-Sompio cooperative is against the Sokli mine and considers it to be against the Reindeer Husbandry Act.

 Searching reindeer in Kemin-Sompio

Reindeer are collected to a round up in Kemin-Sompio (Youtube). Tuomas Värriö – published 3/2015.