Fishing and hunting fees will already rise in 2025.
Metsähallitus will not be able to hire additional staff next summer to monitor fishing and hunting. Metsähallitus will only be able to hire three wardens instead of the previous eight. The shortfall in surveillance will be particularly acute in northern Finland.
However, the number of permanent inspectors remains unchanged at 11.
The reduction applies to additional seasonal workers, known as seasonal guards, whose work is financed by the revenue from hunting and fishing licences.
– I am worried. Sure, we have volunteer supervisors, but we would also need professionals for seasonal work, says Bisi.
Bisi hopes that citizens moving in nature would take even stronger responsibility for what happens in nature.
– Those who are active in nature should actively report any problems to our supervisors, advises Bisi.
In the past, seasonal supervisors have also supervised some private areas, but now Metsähallitus has to give up these supervision contracts.
– Metsähallitus has previously agreed on the monitoring of private areas with some fishing areas and game management associations, but this year they want to target the minor additional monitoring only on state areas.
Jukka Bisi guesses that fishing and hunting fees will rise already in 2025, in order to get more funding for batch control, among other things.
– Increasing fees is always a risk, because people can turn their backs on payments. However, in this situation, it is necessary to make increases, says Bisi.