The government has approved a bill that allows the hunting of wolves for population management purposes.
The cabinet sent the amendment to the Hunting Act to Parliament for approval. It is expected to be rubber-stamped and to come into force on 1 January. The initial goal is to allow the hunting of 65 wolves at that point.
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah (CD) made the announcement at a press conference on Thursday, hailing it as "a historic change".
"The government takes seriously citizens' growing concerns regarding wolves and large carnivores," the Christian Democrats chair told reporters.
The bill would remove the year-round protection of wolves, which has been in effect since 1973, with a few exceptions.
Minister cites "problems and harm caused by wolves"
In future, wolf hunting seasons would be regulated by the government decree, with regional quotas set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
According to Essayah, "the goal is to create a new, long-term solution for wolf population management, in which sustainable wolf hunting can manage the problems and harm caused by wolves". Wolves sometimes prey on livestock and pets, but have not killed a human in Finland since the nineteenth century.
The number of wolves in Finland has increased sharply, according to a report published in September by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). It estimates that there were between 413 and 465 wolves in the country last March, before this year’s cubs were born – and predicted continued strong population growth.
EU loosened wolf protection
Last May, the European Parliament voted to change the EU's Habitats Directive, redesignating the wolf as a protected species rather than a strictly protected one. Protected species can be hunted, while strictly protected species can only be hunted under special exemptions if an animal poses a threat.
The hunting of wolves for population management purposes was last permitted in December 2021. The Finnish Wildlife Agency issued exceptional permits for the hunting of 18 wolves, but nature conservation organisations appealed the decision to the administrative court, and the permits were not implemented. Hunting was also allowed briefly in 2015-16.
