European Union wants fivefold increase in Finnish wolf population

Commission takes Finland to court for granting too many hunting permits

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The European Commission is taking Finland before the Court of Justice of the European Communities for granting hunters permits to shoot wolves too freely.
      The Commission wants Finland to let its wolf population grow to about 1,000, which is five times more than the present approximately 200 individuals: only then can measures to protect the endangered species be eased.
      Finland’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry rejects the Commission’s view. According to ministry official Sauli Härkönen, the Commission is focusing excessively on the number of individual animals.
      Härkönen says that an important factor in the equation is that the Finnish wolf population is directly linked with the much greater population across the border in Russia, where there are thousands of animals.
      The ministry feels that the number of wolves is sufficient from the point of view of conservation, because in recent years the population has grown and spread to new areas.
      "Each hunting permit has been carefully considered, and in most cases, the applications have been denied", Härkönen emphasises. The ministry has received applications for 180 permits to shoot a wolf in the past four years, but only 25 have been accepted.
     
At the Finnish League for Nature Conservation, wolf expert Riku Lumiaro says that the Commission is right to take issue with wolf hunting in Finland.
      "Finland has deceived EU officials. Reports have not been given, and lies have been told. The EU has not been told of the poaching that takes place in Finland."
      Lumiaro says that the wolf population could be allowed to grow to between 3,000 and 4,000. He says that there is plenty of food for them in Finnish forests, and a larger population would prevent the genetic deterioration of the population.
     
Finnish MEP Henrik Lax (Swedish People’s Party) sharply criticised the Commission’s views on Finnish wolves.
      "The wolf is a dangerous animal, so it is irresponsible to claim that it is harmless. The EU does not have the right to force the citizens of its member states to live among dangerous animals", Lax said.
     
With their keen senses of hearing and smell, wolves can tell from afar if a human is approaching, and will generally avoid contact. They prefer to live in unpopulated forest areas.
      Wolves pose virtually no danger to human beings. An estimated two million wolves were killed in Finland in the 20th century, but experts have no record of even a single case in which a healthy wild wolf would have killed a human being.
      Numerous people are killed each year by dogs, hybrids between wolves and dogs, and tame wolves.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  EU starts legal proceedings against Finland over wolf hunting and snuff sales (28.9.2005)
  Kainuu predators sitting ducks for foreign nature photographers (18.9.2005)
  Commissioner gets death threat over Finnish wolf hunting controversy (6.5.2005)
  A wolf consumes ten elk in a year on average (28.4.2005)
  Keeping the wolf from the door (2.4.2000)
  Finnish wolf community is feared - and possibly doomed (9.2.2000)

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