Nils Mikkelsen Utsi leads the Fiettar reindeer district near Repparfjord, where summer calving grounds stretch beneath the Arctic midnight sun. A new underground operation, the Nussir copper mine, is taking shape just meters from those pastures. Sami activists argue the project threatens a way of life that has endured for generations, pitting traditional herding against Europe’s push for green metals.

The venture, 80% owned by Blue Moon Metals, secured an operating licence in 2019 and has already sunk roughly $50 million into construction. Regulators granted a tail‑ings permit allowing up to 30 million tons of waste to be piped into Repparfjord fjord, a key salmon spawning site. Authorities argue marine disposal is less disruptive than land‑based alternatives, even as climate‑induced ocean changes loom.

Supporters point to roughly 250 local jobs and a planned $200 million investment over the next two years, citing the EU’s 2024 Critical Raw Minerals Act that fast‑tracks projects like Nussir. Yet protests persist; more than 70 demonstrators braved sub‑zero weather in January, joined by Sami parliament member Maren Benedicte Nystad Storslett, who warned of “enormous consequences” for herders. The clash underscores Europe’s renewable‑metal dilemma.