February 22, 2016
Authorities gave permits to
licensed hunters to kill 46 of Finland's estimated 250 grey wolves,
though three remained unused (AFP Photo/Jussi Nukari)
Helsinki
(AFP) - Nearly one fifth of Finland's endangered wolf population was
killed in a controversial month-long cull which ended at the weekend,
authorities said on Monday.
Authorities
gave permits to licensed hunters to kill 46 of Finland's estimated 250
grey wolves in a cull intended to curb illegal poaching.
"The
catch was altogether 43 wolves... meaning that three permissions were
left unused," Sauli Harkonen, a senior official with the Finnish
Wildlife Agency, told AFP.
The
hunt was the second part of a trial cull launched in 2015 to reduce
illegal poaching in rural areas. It was the first time a cull had been
authorised since 2007, after the European Commission accused Finland of
breaching EU protection rules on the endangered species.
Finland's
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will now assess the impact of the
hunt on the wolf population and on poaching before deciding if hunting
should be continued in 2017.
Environmentalists have voiced fears that culls might destroy the wolves' genetic diversity.
"The
hunt was very extensive since the ministry authorised (hunters) to kill
20 percent of Finland's wolf population and in addition to that, there
have been exceptional permits granted by the police," said Sami
Saynevirta, leader of the Finnish Nature League.
In
addition to the 43 wolves killed in the cull that ended Sunday, another
25 were killed since August by hunters given special permits to track
down wolves that habitually roamed near homes, or which had attacked
pets or livestock.
Hunting is a
widespread tradition in Finland. About 300,000 people register each
year for permits, one of the highest per capita rates in Europe.
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