Fjällräven is a designated species within Natura 2000, the European Union’s work on the conservation of biodiversity. This means that the species is considered worthy of protection from a European perspective. Arctic fox is a species of character for the mountain environment and it has previously been numerous along the entire fennoscandian mountain range. Nowadays, however, the species is threatened in Sweden, Finland and Norway. Although the species has been protected in all countries for decades, the species has not recovered as expected. There are several threats to the arctic fox, one of which is that the distribution is now very fragmented and it is likely to have a very negative impact on the genetic exchange. In the Arctic Fox Together project, the parties want to work on a large-scale and coordinated basis across national borders to create better conditions for the arctic fox. Within the project there is considerable support from participating research institutions with very strong scientific anchorage linked specifically to arctic fox. Managing authorities are very positive about the knowledge that the research participants will be able to contribute. Research becomes an important basis for developing administrative cooperation. The project application is part of a much larger work for the arctic fox. In 2015, the Swedish and Norwegian Ministry of the Environment wrote a joint declaration of intent for joint work with arctic fox management. The Finnish authorities are in favour of participating in joint conservation work. Project Arctic Fox Together will develop a proposal for a regional management plan based on the authorities’ guidelines and create good conditions for the management of arctic fox throughout Nordkalotten. In addition, Interreg Sweden-Norway finances the project “Felles Fjellrev II” in parallel during the years 2016-2019. The projects estimate that they will have a great deal of exchange with each other. There will thus be a large coordinated effort for the arctic fox along large parts of the species’ natural range.
