Our Swedish government lost in court against Girjas reindeer herding Sami village in the Kiruna area in Lapland. The Samis will decide who can hunt and fish in their area this means local people and tourists dont know if they can continue to hunt or fish in the area. The local government stopped selling hunting permits for the area today. Hunting and fishing guides may loose their income then they cant book any guests. Other Sami villages are going to follow Girjas.

Will the Sami run hunts out of their areas?

Yes they will probably run hunts on their area.

What is the basis for this decision? Some type of treaty agreement?

The Swedish supreme court has said " The sami village has more right to hunting and fishing than the government as a landowner has because of their traditional use of the land." The earlyer interpretation of the rein deer herding law was the Sami village also had a right to hunt and fish in addition to the landowners(government) right on government land in the mountains.

A Sami village are not a place its a economic accosiation. The area of all sami villages covers an area as big as Belgium and Ireland together. Only 10-15% (about 4500) of the samis are members of a sami village.

A change in politics and a threat to take the case to EU court and pressure by ILO69 have probably softened the supreme court.