Finland’s wolf population has increased by 10% every year since 2017, with the latest estimates suggesting 310 wolves living in the country, according to a report by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) published on Wednesday.
Wandering wolf packs may create more tensions between the scientists, the environmental groups and reindeer herders, sheep farmers and dog owners. In 2022, wolves are claimed to have killed 1,261 reindeers and 518 sheep. The number of attacks on dogs were around 50.
Reasons for the steady increase included higher reproductive rates and lower mortality. Also, migration across the Russian border has increased.
In May, it was reported that the police were investigating a large poaching ring in Eastern Finland where around 40 people were under suspicion. Apparently, they were targeting wolves, bear, and lynx.
Wolves have made even bigger headlines in Sweden and in Norway. Early this year in Sweden, hunters were given permission to kill 75 wolves from a population of 460. Reported back then by The Guardian, the majority of Swedish parliament were ready to cut the wolf population down to 170.
Anti-hunting group Jaktkritikerna argued that such numbers would have negative consequences for the ecosystem and the WWF claimed the figure of 170 was not based on scientific facts.
Norway has pursued a very restrictive wolf management policy which has allowed reducing the wolf population each year. Nature campaigners have strongly criticised the alignment.
Whether the new statistics on the wolf population in Finland will raise tensions between those in favour of more hunting and environmental groups remains to be seen.
(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)
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