| Summary: | The methodology for monitoring the status of the arctic fox population in Scandinavia, as well as routines for coordination, were harmonized and standardized in 2016 on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet) in Norway and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket). Monitoring have been carried out in previous years too, but has only partly been based on the same methods and protocols that are now being implemented. The main goal for harmonizing the existing monitoring initiatives in Norway and Sweden is to develop robust and unambiguous population estimates for the common Scandinavian arctic fox population, and to follow the development of the sub-populations over time. This is the first monitoring report with an estimate of minimum population size of the Scandinavian arctic fox, based on efforts that are coordinated throughout, from data collection, to quality checks and reporting. In Norway, the arctic fox monitoring program was established in its current form as early as 2003. The monitoring in Norway is financed annually by the Norwegian Environment Agency. The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) stands for the expertise in prioritizing the efforts, overall quality assurance and annual reporting, while The State Nature Inspectorate (SNO) coordinates the practical implementation of the work. Sweden has not had the same overreaching coordination of the monitoring efforts as Norway. The arctic fox montoring in Sweden has had a different form, without annual state funding and without a national coordinating part with regard to the overall quality assurance and reporting. Monitoring in Sweden has, to a greater extent, also had a varying and somewhat uncertain funding through action, project and research funding. Planning and practical work have been carried out by Stockholm University (SU) in close collaboration with the county administrative boards in Jämtland, Västerbotten and Norrbotten. The county administrative boards have to a large extent been ...
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