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University of Tromsø –
Labyrint E/11
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39
Almost 100 years ago,
Norwegian whalers
were the first to
introduce reindeer to
Antarctica. Reindeer
were not naturally a
part of the Antarctic
ecosystem, but now it is
impossible to get rid of
them.
By the time the last Norwegian whaling
ships left Antarctica, whalers had spent
many years overexploiting a number
of whale species. The whaling industry,
which lasted from the 1920s to the 1950s,
led to a drastic decline in whale stocks.
But the whalers and others who had their
operations in Antarctica actually intro-
duced a few species, including reindeer,
cats, rabbits and sheep. Professor Nigel
Yoccoz is now trying to figure out exactly
what this has done to the ecosystem.
Wild reindeer and black-and-
white cats
Norwegian whalers introduced reindeer
to the Antarctic island of South Georgia
between 1910 and 1925. The animals
were shot for food and were also hunted
for sport by the whalers who were sta-
tioned on the island. Yoccoz is planning
a research stay on the French island of
Kerguelen in the Antarctic. Norwegians
used the island as one of their whaling
stations, where whaling boats came with
their catch for processing.
The French who lived on Kerguelen
Island followed the Norwegian example
and released Swedish reindeer.
"These reindeer have now become wild,
and it is impossible to remove them. I
would estimate that we are talking about
3000 to 5000 animals on an island that
has never had mammals before, but we
still don't have exact numbers. Cats and
rabbits that were introduced by whalers
have also survived. All of the cats are
black-and-white because the original
three cats on the island were black-and-
white," says Yoccoz.
Kerguelen is a windswept island where
previously only wingless insects thrived.
But the mountains and the vegetation
were similar to what might be found
in the northern Norwegian landscape,
which suited the reindeer quite well.
"I wonder what has happened to the ve-
getation on Kerguelen, since there were
no herbivores there before the reindeer
were introduced. The reindeer must have
had an effect on the vegetation," he says.
A comparison to Finnmark
Yoccoz's project in Kerguelen draws on
another major project called Ecosystem
Finnmark, which is also being run by re-
searchers from the University of Tromsø.
Researchers have previously believed
that very high grazing pressure over time
pushes the ecosystem in positive direc-
tion, so that over time, the areas that are
grazed become dominated by productive
plants, such as nutrient-rich species of
grasses.
The Ecosystem Finnmark project shows
quite clearly that too many reindeer have
a negative effect on grazing areas, even
in the most productive summer pastures,
project manager Rolf Anker Ims told
forskning.no, a Norwegian web-based
publication that reports on scientific
research.
Today, the introduction of a non-native
species is considered to be a threat to the
environment. Many countries punish the
introduction of species with fines and
even imprisonment.
"All researchers who work in Antarctica
must wear new clothes and shoes to
avoid introducing non-native seeds.
Antarctica attracts researchers from
around the world. But there are also a
great number of tourists.
"The South Pole provides a good living
for many people," Yoccoz says.
One of the Kerguelen Islands, where Norwegian whalers released reindeer. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Text: Maja Sojtarić
Reindeer in the Antarctic