EU needs to take action to save the highly endangered wolf in Finland

Wolves are becoming extinct in Finland.

Finnish wolves are in danger of becoming extinct. Wolf is a highly
endangered species in Finland. Currently, there are only about 150 to
165 wolves living in Finland. Despite their endangered status, they
are still hunted and considered game.

Stop poaching!

The Finnish wolf population has almost halved in the recent years
because of poaching. Hunting crimes must be stopped. Wolves are
threatened by extinction because of both illegal and legal hunting.

Finnish wolf policy must change.

Finnish wolf policy has failed. The Finnish State has not defended its
vanishing wolf population despite the requirements of the Habitats
Directive. The EU must take immediate action to remedy the Finnish
situation. Wolves are practically outlaws in Finland at the moment.
Currently, only NGO’s are working to protect wolves even though it
should be the government’s responsibility.

The reindeer husbandry area is a wolf’s hell.

The reindeer husbandry area currently has no reproducing wolf
population. The reindeer husbandry area covers 1/3 of Finland. In
practice, the State has permitted the killing of all wolves in the
area. There must be room for wild animals on the reindeer husbandry
area as well in addition to the reindeers of reindeer husbandry. At
the moment, there are approximately 300,000 reindeers in Finland.

Gene movement must be secured

Scandinavian wolves need new genes from Finland and Russia. However,
it is practically impossible for wolves to travel through the reindeer
husbandry area to Scandinavia. Wolves are killed in the area or at the
latest in the Swedish Sami areas. The Scandinavian wolf population is
threatened by inbreeding and extinction. In Russia, people are
sometimes paid for killing wolves. Also the fence that marks the
Finnish-Russian boarder at parts of Eastern Finland prevents wolves
from moving freely.

The Police Act must be amended.

Section 25 of the Police Act must be amended. The police grant
licenses to kill wolves too easily, for example based on fear of the
animal. Policemen are often hunters themselves and therefore
disqualified to grant these licenses. There is also not enough control
of licenses granted on the basis of the Police Act.