Contribution short abstract:

This presentation will explore the relationship between conservation and extractivism through empirical evidence and anthropological formulations. It argues that the relationship between conservation and the utilization of natural resources is essential for sustainability.

Contribution long abstract:

This presentation will explore the relationship between conservation and extractivism through empirical evidence and anthropological formulations in relation to sustainability. The research material is collected among the Skolt Sami in Northern Finland. It highlights nature-based livelihood activities, nature and natural resources, and related perceptions. The analysis is also based on the state driven classifications of various areas in the Sami Homeland Region, which are divided into "protected areas" and "areas of economic utilization. According to the theory of adaptation, a community's adaptation to its environment is successful when the continuity of both nature and the community is ensured. The history of the Skolt Sami people provides a cautionary example of how the fishing and mining industries squeezed their culture in Petsamo, near the Barents Sea. After the Second World War, extractivism has threatened the biodiversity of the Skolt Sami homeland mainly in the form of industrial forestry. Mining industry is now a potential threat. The paper argues that the relationship between conservation and the utilization of natural resources is essential for sustainability, but the extent to which conservation is needed has remained an open question. It is precisely this that scientific research can help to clarify. The paper highlights elements that may help define the need for conservation and the ways in which natural resources can be exploited. The local rationale for extractive practices brings together the international economic system and the conditions for indigenous survival. The possibility of compensation can be raised.