Reindeer lichen stripped in Murmansk tundra

Murmansk environmentalist Igor Kotyash went to the tundra to pick mushrooms. In the area of the Kola wind farm, he encountered an unpleasant surprise — sacks filled with «barbarically gathered reindeer lichen».

«Someone methodically walked around the tundra, ripping it out in chunks. For what? To feed reindeer? I don’t think such procurement will do them much good. And domesticated reindeer herds are quite self-sufficient in foraging», — Andrei Ivanov, deputy chairman of the party Spravedlivaya Rossiya — Za pravdu (A Just Russia — For Truth, SRZP), relayed on his Telegram channel.

Kotyash stressed that the «bald patches» left in the tundra will take decades to recover.

«The most developed and most beautiful stage of starlike cladina (a form of lichen thallus) will be restored in 70–80 years», he specified.

The environmentalist suggested that the lichen is being gathered for reindeer lichen chips popular with tourists, as well as for reindeer petting enclosures.

«I hope the Ministry of Tourism or the Ministry of Natural Resources will finally address the issue of these unfortunate reindeer being made to gather lichen for short-term interests. I have filed an appeal», said Igor Kotyash.

Reindeer lichen is a lichen eaten by reindeer. That is why it is also called reindeer moss.

TV presenter Yekaterina Andreyeva, while traveling in Murmansk Oblast, tried reindeer lichen — she liked it.