Metaldetecting is officially dead in Sweden

[Treasure_Hunter]

Post edited, please remember no politics, this rule applies to all countries.

 

[pepperj]

If I were in Sweden, I can tell you what I'd be doing right now. I'll leave that to your imagination.

Sitter på datorn skriver orsakerna till varför man inte kan gå utomhus eftersom det är kallt och marken är för frusen.

 

[sprailroad]

I am sorry for your pain. It is too bad that the government is killing the hobby because it caused them to have to do work.

And it's "work" they created for themselves, and then did not want to deal with. I AM truly sorry for the hobby and the fella's like you that enjoy it 4dd3. In a way 4dd3's post could be taken as a warning as to how things could "Creep" up on us all, as it did in Sweden. I am aware that we as Metal Detecting Hobbyist ARE a minority overall, and all that comes to mind right now is the phrase, "United we stand, divided we fall" kind of thing. Something to think about. It would seem that as 4dd3 pointed out, the Swedish Government has effectively killed metal detecting, and why? I'd bet they don't even know why, not really.

 

[4dd3]

True, but if he can do what he has been doing under the name of archaeology, he hasn't lost his ability to detect. He would be allowed to keep the same items as he were allowed to before the restriction. I just think it would be something to check out.

Sweden already has the amount of archaeologists that they need (no big demand of them)... And you need a 3-5 year university degree to work as one.

 

[pepperj]

Just another thought, plan detecting trips to the West or East of Sweden.

 

[4dd3]

Hey Sweeden...I use my saab to go metal detecting and put all my finds in and use it to bing my finds home .sweeden making laws to cover every aspect of humanity.next they will require a permit to grow a garden or tell you what to grow... what next....?

You actually do need a permit from the same administrative board to build a green house on your property! Hehe. It costed my dad around 90 USD I think.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Post deleted, Red James, please remember no politics.

Post edited, please remember no politics, this rule applies to all countries.

 

[4dd3]

4dd3, sorry to hear of your plight. Your post was very well written. Although it's "too little too late" to do anything about it now, But some questions about the background :

a) you've only been into the hobby since 2013, and

b) there were a few hundred hobbyist by that time in 2013, and

c) since it had a "permit" system already in place at that time in 2013, then...

d) Do you know what precipitated that ? Ie.: have you ever talked to old-timers to see WHY THERE WAS EVEN A "PERMIT" dreamed up in the first place ? What put md'ing on the govt's or archies plate in the first place, to dream that up ?

The reason I ask is: Obviously this "constant presence" on their bureaucratic plate, is what eventually brought about the current dilemma. It's only a matter of time before someone thinks "Gee do we really want all these yahoos digging up our past ?" and "Gee, this costs us time to process these". Hence much better if it were silent on the subject. Yes I realize this isn't helping you any now. It's too little too late. But this should serve as a reminder for other md'rs and other countries to NOT make themselves a giant bullseye

Goes to show that the LESS they think of us, the better. Some people think of "permits" as good. As a sort of carte-blanche ability. Happy to have in the pocket so you can whip out to show people, eh ? But as your post shows: It always only ever leads to silly rules. And/or eventual abolishments.





I agree with you 4dd3 : The more you gripe (as md'rs here are trigger happy to advocate) THE MORE RULES AGAINST YOU IT WILL CREATE. In fact, I'll bet that even has something to do with the reason why the current situation exists. And you're right: Any griping or clarification or petitioning you do, will have to cross the desk of Govt. archies. And ...we all know they hate md'rs. You are simply not going to win.

I'll bet that in the entire country of Sweden there's only a handful of purist govt. archies. (yet 100's and 100's of md'rs) The odds of those few archies ever happen-chancing on to an md'r is very slim. So the worst thing you can do, is to make yourselves an even bigger bullseye for them to "think about". But yes, I agree, it's too late now and this is "too little too late".

If I were in Sweden, I can tell you what I'd be doing right now. I'll leave that to your imagination.

Hey thanks for your great reply, Tom. Ill try to answer a few things for you

Well, the permit came into place in the early 90s as the swedish island of Gotland was being plundered by metal detectorists from both swedish people and people from abroad (polish, latvian). The government decided to not just ban metal detecting on that island, but the whole country of Sweden. Before, in the 1980s - you only needed the landowners permission.

Yes, there are just a handful archeologists in the entire country. I think we have like 2-3 just in my entire province. The law that the national heritage board proposed was also constructed by just a handful of old people (10-15 people) and the government ultimately passed the law. Also - archeologists in Sweden rarely use a metal detector when doing digouts. They just scrape and sift stuff (I've never seen a metal detector being used by an archeologists in the countless swedish archeology documentaries and news reports I've seen on TV)

Oh yeah, when you mentioned "silly rules/laws" I forgot to say that in my permits it states that when the permit expires I need to hand in a list of all items I've dug up. I've always refused that. I would never write a list of "1536 bottle caps, 26 condom packages, 4 soda cans, 33 quarters" etc....

 

[Red James Cash]

Sorry TH.What I posted had to do with metal detecting though.Cant metal detect without land

 

[Tom_in_CA]

4dd3, thanx for taking a stab at that.
You say:

.... there are just a handful archeologists in the entire country. I think we have like 2-3 just in my entire province.....

So I wonder if those "2 or 3 people" were brought to this "pressing need for a law" by virtue of all the people coming from abroad in the early '90s. (Eg.: Poles and Latvians & local Sweeds), who perhaps sought to know, before going to detect: "What are the rules/laws here?" Makes perfect sense to inquire ahead of time after all, eh ? You wouldn't want trouble, eh ?

Otherwise, we are to assume that the 2 or 3 purist archies were randomly out and about ? And saw various md'rs and thought "oh no, we must make a law" ? Yes that's possible. But I have to wonder if the md'rs , back in those earlier days, didn't make THEMSELVES a giant bullseye. Which started that ball rolling ?

Yes I realize it's "too little too late" on that. And too late on the current one . But ... curious because of those persons who read a post like this, and will think "Oh no! Coming to a country near you!". Like sprailroad's post:

... 4dd3's post could be taken as a warning as to how things could "Creep" up on us all, as it did in Sweden.....

The knee-jerk reaction is to get pre-emptive. And to now think "the sky is falling". Go fight. Go seek clarifications. Go create solidarities, etc... But I wonder if that's VERY SPOTLIGHT that brought about the restrictions in the first place.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Sorry TH.What I posted had to do with metal detecting though.Cant metal detect without land

I understand, but post still falls under politics. thanks for understanding.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Sorry TH.What I posted had to do with metal detecting though.Cant metal detect without land

I understand, although I agree with your post, the post still falls under politics. thanks for understanding.

 

[Red James Cash]

I understand, although I agree with your post, the post still falls under politics. thanks for understanding.

No biggy buddy

 

[mercinarie]

Typical governments. I think that's the dumbest thing I have heard all year

 

[Robertfinds]

That is a joke they just want to take all the fun out of everything and they just want people to be robots go to work go home go to work go home go to work go home can't do nothing fun

 

[sprailroad]

4dd3, thanx for taking a stab at that.
You say:



So I wonder if those "2 or 3 people" were brought to this "pressing need for a law" by virtue of all the people coming from abroad in the early '90s. (Eg.: Poles and Latvians & local Sweeds), who perhaps sought to know, before going to detect: "What are the rules/laws here?" Makes perfect sense to inquire ahead of time after all, eh ? You wouldn't want trouble, eh ?

Otherwise, we are to assume that the 2 or 3 purist archies were randomly out and about ? And saw various md'rs and thought "oh no, we must make a law" ? Yes that's possible. But I have to wonder if the md'rs , back in those earlier days, didn't make THEMSELVES a giant bullseye. Which started that ball rolling ?

Yes I realize it's "too little too late" on that. And too late on the current one . But ... curious because of those persons who read a post like this, and will think "Oh no! Coming to a country near you!". Like sprailroad's post:



The knee-jerk reaction is to get pre-emptive. And to now think "the sky is falling". Go fight. Go seek clarifications. Go create solidarities, etc... But I wonder if that's VERY SPOTLIGHT that brought about the restrictions in the first place.

Tom, how do I even reply to your post. The only "knee jerk" reaction I see is perhaps yours. Do you really think I am now running around crying "The sky is falling, the sky is falling"? I could have written a full page of what I was trying to point out, but I do not think it would be of any good here, you do seem to have a mind set at times that you are right, and all others are wrong. I think that you simply misunderstood what I was saying, and that's OK, others I believe knew exactly what I was trying to point out. You yourself said you realize it's "to little to late" (at least it seems for Sweden). No fella's, I'm not in any sort of panic, I am just aware that we are so regulated and permitted to death on so many things, that we never use to be, that we wonder, "When did THAT happen", it was always a little here, a little there, all of which were so easy to ignore until one day, what we at one time took for granted and enjoyed, is no longer there. All I really pointed out was that Sweden could be a lesson, at least something to be aware off. No Tom, my sky is still in place, how is yours doing?

 

[Argentium]

This is very upsetting news , I honestly believe as someone who really enjoys metal detecting , and more importantly personal liberty - that i would move - if it were possible . I understand that for family reasons , and financially , this may not be possible - but if possible , I would get to a country that is hospitable to metal detecting .

 

[Tom_in_CA]

... Do you really think I am now running around crying "The sky is falling, the sky is falling"? ......

I probably should not have insinuated juvenile wording from your post. Sorry.

When I reflect back on that kind of evolution, I see all the same ingredients today. YES IT'S TOO LATE FOR WHAT'S ALREADY enacted. But just saying, the same instinctive reactions ("this could creep up on your area too") is bound to happen. Totally understandable. I guess the "sky is falling" is too strong of words. Sorry.

Was just trying to point out, that the average Joe, upon reading such stories, is subconsciously bound to wonder: "Is it allowed where I'm going ?" And "could this be imminent where I'm at ?" And the mere question, when/if it invariably lands on a bureuacrat's desk to address .... hmmm ...: He will pass it past the govt. archie to address (2 or 3 in an entire continent !). And then ... presto ... we'll get our answer. See the self-fulfilling vicious loop ?

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I am just hearkening back to an era before anyone knew about such things. Before such things never even crossed anyone's mind. Before the internet where never read of things far away . Eg.: someone who got a ticket, or a city that created a "permit", or someone who got a "no", etc.... Thus such things as "potential laws" never even crossed our minds. Oh sure, we had the "presence of mind" to avoid obvious historic sensitive monuments. But that was all.

But fast forward a few years later: Some TH'ing magazines had a few articles on some legal hassles. Then the FMDAC came into being. Where each newsletter edition was filled with "scary stories" (no doubt to rally support, educate, get donations, etc...).

And I distinctly recall the look at the club meetings when such things were read aloud. From far away places that had nothing to do with us. You could look around the room and see eyes and big as silver dollars. Because ... certainly ... "no one wants to get arrested". Then the instinctive reaction, after being appraised of stories like these, if you were planning to travel : Ask, of course. To make sure it's allowed at the place you're heading . Because, of course, you don't want trouble like shown in those stories to befall you too. Right ?

And oddly, the incidents snowballed in those early to mid 1980s years. It became a self-fulfilling vicious circle. The "FAQ's" were met with either "no's" (at places it had never been an issue before), or "permits" (which is what I'm suggesting might have been the genesis in Sweden with those out of country visitors going there to detect).

But alas, as I say, it's too late in places where it's already codified. I just hope that people learn from these possible origins, and cease making themselves bullsyeyes in need of attention. Look up laws for oneself. Avoid busy-body archies scrutiny, etc...

 

[highnam]

I would hunt private property, and on the odd chance someone asks you what you are doing I would tell them I was looking for my keys, or wife's ring.
Bummed to hear this, I have family in Skara and for years I have wanted to go detect the family's property. 4 years in Swedish prison would be better than 1 year in a Mexican one