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The Nordic Times

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The Nordic Times

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/endangered-arctic-fox-is-on-the-rise-in-finland/

Finland

Endangered Arctic fox is on the rise in Finland

Published October 3, 2023 – By Editorial staff
Arctic foxes are making a comeback in Finland.
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Two new Arctic fox dens have been discovered in Finnish Lapland, adding nine new pups to the critically endangered species. This brings the total number of Arctic fox pups born in Finland this summer to 25.

According to the wildlife management agency Metsähallitus, this is positive news for the critically endangered Arctic fox. One of the dens, located near the Enontekiö mountains, is in the same place where a fox den was found last year for the first time in 25 years. A total of 16 cubs were found in the two new dens, bringing the total for all this year's litters to 25 Arctic fox cubs.

– We had also observed these nests for a long time, but it was only a few days ago that the wildlife camera images we received revealed the cubs to us, says nature conservation expert Tuomo Ollila in a press release from the Finnish Wildlife Agency, according to Finnish state channel Yle.

Both WWF and Metsähallitus have been running feeding stations in the mountain areas to support the survival of Arctic fox cubs and also help the adults to stay in the region, even when natural food availability is low.

Petteri Tolvanen, Program Director of WWF's Finnish branch, says the new discovery confirms that the Arctic fox is making a comeback in Finland.

– However, conservation efforts must continue in order to build on this positive development, he says.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Facts: Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus)

The species is one of the oldest mammalian species on the Scandinavian peninsula, along with reindeer and arctic chamois. It is found in Siberia, Canada, Alaska and Greenland. In Scandinavia, it is mainly found in mountainous areas. It is critically endangered in Sweden and critically endangered in Finland.

Arctic foxes are monogamous and sometimes pups can stay with their parents for a year, and sometimes two Arctic fox families can live together in the same den.

The animals are largely scavengers and eat what they find. The color of their fur can be either white in winter and brown in summer or blue-black all year round.

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finland-to-allow-wolf-hunting-next-year/

Finland

Finland to allow wolf hunting next year

Published November 22, 2025 – By Editorial staff
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Finnish government presented new legislation on Thursday that will allow population management wolf hunting next year. 65 wolves are to be shot next year.

The Natural Resources Institute Finland estimated earlier this fall that there are approximately 430 wolves in Finland and that the population has increased by 46 percent in the past year. The sharp increase has prompted the government to allow hunting to reduce problems.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah justifies the decision by noting that wolves are moving increasingly closer to populated areas.

— The goal is legislation that can sustainably and long-term reduce the problems caused by wolves, she tells Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

Martin Hägglund, chairman of the game council in Southwest Finland, welcomes the proposal.

— There are too many wolves in certain parts of Finland. Therefore, we have problems that we must address, he says.

But environmental organization Nature & Environment is critical. According to executive director Jonas Heikkilä, the wolf population is not sufficiently viable for hunting. He believes the wolf population should be around 500 individuals to be classified as viable.

— Now it just feels like the government is pushing through regional politics, he says.

The legislative changes are made possible by the EU Council of Ministers' decision this summer to downgrade the wolf's protection status from strictly protected to protected. The changes are set to take effect in January 2026 after being processed by the Finnish Parliament.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/environment/swedish-chemicals-agency-tightens-protection-against-pfas/

Environment

Swedish Chemicals Agency tightens protection against PFAS

Published November 21, 2025 – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

38 plant protection products are to be reassessed by the Swedish Chemicals Agency (Kemikalieinspektionen) to protect groundwater from PFAS substances. The measure follows Denmark's decision to ban over 30 preparations for the same reason.

The Swedish Chemicals Agency is now taking decisive action to protect future groundwater by reassessing plant protection products containing PFAS substances that can break down into trifluoroacetic acid, TFA. This water-soluble substance cannot be removed using current technology.

TFA is a PFAS substance that is highly mobile in soil and does not break down in the environment. The substance has been detected in groundwater across large parts of Europe.

— TFA is assessed to pose a serious long-term threat to groundwater and cannot be removed with current technology. Since TFA is formed from approved plant protection products containing PFAS substances, we must act, says Mats Allmyr, strategic advisor at the Swedish Chemicals Agency, in a press release.

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency took the initiative this summer and withdrew 33 plant protection products to protect groundwater after active substances in the preparations were found to form TFA. According to the EU's plant protection products regulation, this means that Sweden must also reassess its product approvals for corresponding products.

The Swedish Chemicals Agency is now taking a comprehensive approach and reassessing both the plant protection products that Denmark has withdrawn and which are also available in Sweden, as well as other Swedish preparations containing any of the active substances diflufenican, flonicamid, fluazinam, fluopyram, mefentrifluconazole, and tau-fluvalinate. In total, this involves 38 Swedish plant protection products.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/concerns-about-childrens-safety-at-finnish-daycare-centers/

Finland

Concerns about children’s safety at Finnish daycare centers

Welfare collapse

Published November 19, 2025 – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

A large proportion of staff at Finnish Swedish-speaking daycare centers feel that the environment is unsafe for children. Staff shortages are identified as the main issue.

In April 2025, Finnish public broadcaster Yle sent out a survey to over a thousand employees in early childhood education in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kyrkslätt, and Kauniainen. A total of 324 people responded to the survey.

The results show that six out of ten employees feel that the environment is physically or emotionally unsafe for children. Staff shortages are identified as the recurring problem. Nearly 200 people describe in their open-ended responses situations where too few adults are responsible for too many children.

— Staff have been replaced in quite a short time, in several groups. It affects the children's safety and well-being greatly, says Marika, who works at a daycare center, to Yle.

Early morning hours and late afternoons are particularly critical. Marika reports that on one occasion she was solely responsible for thirteen children under three years old. According to Finnish law, there must be at least one qualified person per maximum of four children under three years old. However, by calculating an average for the entire day, daycare centers can meet the requirement statistically.

Only one-third of all respondents believe they will still be working at the same daycare center in five years.

Jenni Tirronen, head of early childhood education in Helsinki, confirms that burnout is a major problem.

— We are naturally very concerned about the burnout. Our own staff survey shows that approximately 60 percent of our employees feel that they do not recover sufficiently after the workday, says Tirronen.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/more-finns-are-reporting-police-officers/

Finland

More Finns are reporting police officers

Published November 17, 2025 – By Editorial staff
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

An increasing number of Finns are filing police reports against individual officers. Over 1,100 reports have already been filed this year – several hundred more than during all of last year.

The figures come from the Finnish newspaper group Uutissuomalainen. These are reports filed against individual police officers for suspected official misconduct, not complaints against the police authority as an organization.

Markus Laine, a police legal advisor at the Police Department in Southwest Finland, explains that the majority of reports stem from general dissatisfaction with police actions.

— It could be, for example, that someone is dissatisfied that a preliminary investigation was never initiated or that it was discontinued. It's also common for someone to feel they were wrongly detained in town, for instance when the person was under the influence, Laine tells Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

Issued fines can also sometimes result in the person fined filing a report against the police.

Despite the high number of reports, only about ten percent lead to prosecution review. Disciplinary actions such as suspension or dismissal are rare and involve only a few cases per year.

According to the Finnish Police Barometer, public trust in the police stands at 92 percent. However, certain groups deviate significantly from the average. Victims of sexual crimes or intimate partner violence, people subjected to human trafficking, and sexual minorities show considerably lower trust figures.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com