Finland's forest protection process threatened

The Finnish governmental forest service Metsähallitus continues loggings in the habitat of the regionally threatened Siberian Jay (Perisoreus infaustus) in Virrat, South Finland. The contoversial loggings have been going on for almost a week despite protests by several NGOs and pleas made by parliament members.

Siberian Jay is still common in Finnish Lapland, but in South Finland the species is on the verge of extinction. Siberian Jay was still a common forest bird in South Finland in the early 20th century but it is now extinct in several provinces because of the decline of suitable forest habitats. The forest currently being logged is the last viable Siberian Jay habitat in the province of Pirkanmaa. Pirkanmaa is a large province in South Finland with almost a million hectares of forest. Less than two per cent of Pirkanmaa's forests have been protected. Metsähallitus has decided to continue the logging although the operations are in contradiction with their environmental guidelines and with EU's Habitat Directive. The Habitat Directive prohibits any measures diminishing a species' breeding range.

Metsähallitus invited NGOs to a meeting on December 1st to discuss current logging plans in South Finland. Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (FANC), Greenpeace and the Finnish Nature League have informed Metsähallitus that it is a prerequisite to negotiations that logging in the Siberian Jay forests are stopped.

"These loggings are unacceptable to us. If similar operations continue on state lands in South Finland the loggings will evidently threaten the process between Metsähallitus and FANC concerning North Finland's old-growth forests", says chairman of FANC Heikki Simola. Metsähallitus, FANC and WWF have negotiated for almost two years to end the old-growth forest conflicts in Nort Finland.

For further information:

• Heikki Simola, chairman, tel.+358-50-566 0640
• Sini Harkki, forest specialist, tel.+358-50-582 1107