Metsähallitus is a state enterprise whose funding also guides wilderness management. This year, seasonal control on state lands will be reduced in the north. In the east, the control will be carried out by permanent batch inspectors.
Metsähallitus’ wilderness control will remain strong in Eastern Finland for the rest of the year.
Metsähallitus usually hires extra staff from spring to autumn to monitor hunting and fishing on state land. Now costs have increased and the state enterprise is reducing its seasonal workforce.
In northern Finland, the number of seasonal guards hired this year with licensing revenue will be reduced from eight to three this year.
In addition, batch inspectors hired with separate funding will continue their work. In this way, both patrolling to prevent wolf damage in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Eastern Finland Police Department and monitoring of the Saimaa water area will continue.
– When the waters are open, fishing violations and illegal catches, and when the hunting season starts in the fall, hunting and weapon transport violations. Just these traditional ones, Pelkonen lists.
In addition, off-road traffic violations are common when driving a snowmobile or ATV without a permit.
– Many still seem to forget that off-road traffic without the landowner’s permission is basically prohibited, Pelkonen states.
Supervision is decentralised to several bodies
The batch control manager of Metsähallitus hopes that the division of control tasks would be developed.
– Most of all, I would like to open a discussion about what the duties and responsibilities of the authorities are, Pelkonen continues.
Batch control has now been established for many parties, from the Border Guard to the police and also for fisheries.
– It should be called for some kind of joint responsibility, how others perform their tasks and what is the funding base, Pelkonen says.
In his opinion, fishing control is currently not effective.
– It’s a pretty bad indicator of how many people in the cooperative have a fisheries supervisor card in their pocket. We should look more from the perspective of the effectiveness of supervision, how much criminal activity takes place, Pelkonen emphasizes.
He does not believe that the situation will change with the help of voluntary supervision.
– Through supervision, however, it would be possible to influence the willingness to buy permits and to share information about how to move in nature, in the forest and fish in accordance with the law.