No Sakatti Mine · Sodankylä, Lapland
No mine under the Viiankiaapa Natura area.
An underground mine is planned beneath the Viiankiaapa Natura 2000 area in Sodankylä, Lapland. I oppose the project from a tourism perspective: people come to Lapland for its intact nature — and that nature is also the foundation of the local tourism economy.
Get in touchImage is illustrative, not a photograph of Viiankiaapa.
The situation
What is happening.
Information compiled from public sources in October 2026.
The deposit lies under a Natura area
AA Sakatti Mining Oy, a subsidiary of the British company Anglo American, plans an underground polymetallic mine. The deposit lies partly beneath the protected Viiankiaapa mire and Natura 2000 area, in bedrock.
Natura exemption application pending
The Regional Council of Lapland has applied to the Finnish Government for a Natura exemption for the mine. In October 2026 the Ministry of the Environment requested supplements to the application; no decision has been made.
Exploration permits overturned
In November 2025, the Administrative Court of Northern Finland overturned four mineral exploration permits granted partly or fully within the Viiankiaapa Natura area.
Authority assessments: significant harm
Metsähallitus (Parks & Wildlife Finland) assesses that the project's proposed Natura measures are not sufficient, and the Lapland ELY Centre states the mine could significantly weaken the area's conservation values.
The tourism perspective
People come to Lapland for intact nature.
People travel to Lapland for its fells, open aapa mires and clear waters. That same intact nature is the foundation of the local tourism economy: the value of the North lies in a landscape that has not been carved up.
With more than 20 years in international tourism, I can say that intact nature is Lapland tourism's competitive advantage — and it is very hard to replace once lost.
I share the information compiled in the @eisakattia campaign about the project and the documented disputes of the company behind it elsewhere in the world. I run this page in my own name.
Sources and further reading
Read more from public sources.
- Yle (in Finnish): Ministry requests supplements to the exemption application (10/2026)
- Yle (in Finnish): Administrative court overturns four exploration permits (11/2025)
- Yle (in Finnish): Metsähallitus – Natura compensation not sufficient (10/2026)
- Yle (in Finnish): Lapland ELY centre assessment of the project (2023)
- Maaseudun Tulevaisuus (in Finnish): Government awaits the EU's position (7/2026)
- Campaign @eisakattia on Instagram
Contact
Get in touch about the campaign.
This form is for people interested in the campaign, local actors and the media. Messages are stored in the site's backend and I reply by email. You can also reach me directly by email or WhatsApp.