New Nature Conservation Act opens up strict protected areas for large carnivores – already three permits in Lapland

Aslak Paltto photographed and tracked predator damage for up to nine years. — Nowadays, large carnivores can be hunted with special permits, even in nature parks. Archival photo of a reindeer carcass killed by a large predator.

The new Nature Conservation Act allows hunting of large carnivores with a special permit even in a nature reserve, where walking is not normally allowed.

In January, Metsähallitus has granted two derogations for hunting injurious lynx in Lapland’s nature parks. The derogations were granted due to particularly significant damage to reindeer husbandry.

Under the new permits, one lynx can be killed in the area of the Pisavaara Nature Reserve and another in the area of the Värriö Nature Reserve.

– The populations of large carnivores in Värriö Nature Reserve are certainly the strongest in the reindeer husbandry area. In fact, it is the only place where there is any population in the reindeer husbandry area. This is because the park has been left alone from hunting.

Yle could not reach the reindeer owner of the Pohjois Salla paliskunta to comment on the matter.

New nature conservation law opens up hunting in nature parks

In nature parks you may not normally even walk, let alone ride a snowmobile and hunt. However, the new Nature Conservation Act that entered into force in 2023 allows for such activities if an exception is granted.

During the period of validity of the new law, Metsähallitus has granted a total of three large carnivore exemption permits to Lapland’s nature parks, all of which concerned lynxes. In 2024, one permit was granted to Pisavaara, and this year the two permits mentioned above were granted.