Friday, August 15, 2025
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Friday, August 15, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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This article was published 2 years ago

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 3 October 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/environment/radioactive-method-ready-for-use-against-poaching/

Environment

Radioactive method ready for use against poaching

Biodiversity

Published 11 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Rhinos are being injected with radioactive material.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

After an extended testing period, the Rhisotope project in South Africa is now in full operation. The technology, which makes rhino horns both traceable and unattractive to poachers, can now be used on a large scale.

It was in June last year that researchers injected radioactive material into the horns of 20 rhinos in South Africa. The project, called the Rhisotope Project and led by the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) in South Africa, began six years ago with the idea of stopping poaching of the endangered rhinos. The concept was that the radioactive material should be detectable at border controls, but also becomes toxic to consume. Furthermore, the radioactive material should be harmless to the rhinos.

Now the project has been thoroughly tested and reached full operational status, writes Wits University in a press release.

— We have demonstrated, beyond scientific doubt, that the process is completely safe for the animal and effective in making the horn detectable through international customs nuclear security systems, says James Larkin, professor at Wits University and scientific director of the Rhisotope Project.

Sold as “medicine”

Rhino poaching is a recurring problem, particularly in South Africa. Last year, 420 rhinos were killed illegally in the country, where the horns often end up on the black market. They are often sold as medicine and can be worth more than gold. The treatment is carried out by sedating the rhino and then drilling a small hole in its horn. Two small isotopes with radioactive material are then inserted.

This means in practice that private and public rhino owners, non-governmental organizations and conservation authorities can contact the Rhisotope Project to treat their rhinos with the radioactive material.

— Our goal is to deploy the Rhisotope technology at scale to help protect one of Africa’s most iconic and threatened species. By doing so, we safeguard not just rhinos but a vital part of our natural heritage, says Jessica Babich, CEO of the Rhisotope Project.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/environment/swedish-crayfish-threatened-with-extinction/

Environment

Swedish crayfish threatened with extinction

Biodiversity

Published 10 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
From 30,000 population to under 600 – the noble crayfish is critically endangered.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Crayfish plague continues to devastate Sweden’s native noble crayfish. In just a few decades, populations have plummeted from around 30,000 to fewer than 600 – and the trend continues downward.

The biggest culprit is illegal releases of non-native signal crayfish, which are themselves heavily fished and can also be affected by the disease.

The signal crayfish, which spreads the disease, has increased dramatically and today exists in between 10,000 and 15,000 populations. In Värmland, a province in western Sweden, illegal releases have been documented in as many as 239 bodies of water between 2000 and 2024.

— Noble crayfish populations in Värmland and Dalsland were 430 in the early 2000s; today only 60 remain, says Lennart Edsman, crayfish expert and researcher at the Freshwater Laboratory at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), to Swedish news agency TT.

When August and crayfish season arrives, the question arises of which species the environmentally conscious consumer should choose for their crayfish party.

— You should eat noble crayfish if you can afford it. That gives them value that makes them worth protecting. And you should eat signal crayfish too, but absolutely not spread them, Edsman believes.

Imports worth hundreds of millions

Swedes eat far more crayfish than the country can produce. Between 70 and 80 percent of the crayfish on tables are imported. In 2023, imports amounted to a value of €40 million, while Swedish crayfish were sold for €27 million.

Previously, the largest portion of imports came from China, but today Spain, Turkey and also Egypt dominate the Swedish market.

Most Swedish-caught crayfish are signal crayfish, with a large share coming from lakes Vättern and Hjälmaren in central Sweden. Recently, however, many consumers have complained that the crayfish have become smaller.

— This is partly because fishing has been too intensive. There is great demand for crayfish in this country. Sweden is quite extreme when it comes to crayfish consumption, Edsman explains.

The signal crayfish originates from western North America, as does crayfish plague – a parasitic algae fungus. Although the species is more resistant than the noble crayfish, it is not immune to the disease.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

How the signal crayfish took over

The signal crayfish originally comes from western North America and was introduced to Sweden in the 1960s as a way to replace the noble crayfish, which had been severely affected by crayfish plague at the time. The idea was to preserve crayfish fishing and its economic benefits, since the signal crayfish is more resistant to the disease than the noble crayfish.

The problem is that the signal crayfish carries the very crayfish plague – a parasitic water mold – that is deadly to the noble crayfish. Although the invasive species itself can be affected, it is significantly more resilient, which means it functions as a disease carrier and accelerates the decline of the noble crayfish.

Since its introduction, the signal crayfish has spread rapidly and is now found in between 10,000 and 15,000 populations across Sweden. Many of these have resulted from illegal releases. The consequence is that the noble crayfish has declined from around 30,000 populations to fewer than 600 throughout the country.

https://nordictimes.com/environment/new-giant-insect-discovered-in-australia/

Environment

New giant insect discovered in Australia

Biodiversity

Published 5 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Acrophylla alta lives in a very limited area of high-altitude rainforest.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Researchers have discovered a new species of stick insect. The insect, which can grow to almost half a meter long, is said to potentially be Australia’s heaviest.

It was at high altitude in the Atherton Tablelands in northern Queensland, Australia, that the stick insect was found. Researchers at James Cook University helped identify the new species, which they call Acrophylla alta. The most remarkable thing about the insect is its length and especially its weight: It can grow 40 centimeters long and weigh about 44 grams, which is slightly less than the weight of a golf ball.

— There are longer stick insects out there [in the region], but they’re fairly light bodied, says Professor Angus Emmott in a press release. From what we know to date, this is Australia’s heaviest insect.

It was through the eggs that researchers were able to identify that it was a new species, since no species of stick insects have identical eggs.

— They’ve all got different surfaces and different textures and pitting, and they can be different shapes, he says.

It is not uncommon for new insect species to be discovered, but the reason this heavy insect has gone unnoticed is likely due to its habitat. These insects live in a limited area of high-altitude rainforest and live high up in the tree canopy. Emmott also believes it is precisely their living environment that has made them so large.

— It’s a cool, wet environment where they live, he says. Their body mass likely helps them survive the colder conditions, and that’s why they’ve developed into this large insect over millions of years.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/homeschooling-increases-in-finland/

Finland

Homeschooling increases in Finland

Published 1 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

More and more children are receiving homeschooling in Finland – a trend that gained momentum during the coronavirus crisis and has continued to grow since then. Lack of support in schools and increased awareness are cited as reasons, while authorities warn of knowledge risks.

During the coronavirus crisis, more and more people began working from home in Finland, as in other countries. More children were also taught remotely, especially during spring 2020 when all schools except preschools were closed for about two months. Since then, homeschooling has increased in the country, even after the end of the coronavirus crisis.

In 2020, 585 children received homeschooling, which was then an increase of a quarter from the year before. Last year, the figure had increased to 881 children.

Unlike in Sweden, where compulsory schooling is stricter and it is therefore more difficult to get permission for homeschooling, it is significantly easier in Finland. No special permit is required to homeschool children.

In Sweden, it has become more common to move to Åland (an autonomous Finnish territory) to escape Sweden’s compulsory schooling laws, where, like in Finland, it is easier to homeschool children. In 2024, 95 percent of all homeschooled children in Åland were Swedes, according to tax-funded SVT (Swedish public television).

Awareness has increased

Marjukka Saarnisto, vice chairman of the homeschool association Suomen kotikouluyhdistys, sees several reasons why more parents choose to homeschool their children.

— Awareness has increased while problems in elementary school have increased. Nowadays parents dare to make courageous decisions regarding the child’s best interests, she tells Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

It can also involve issues such as bullying or lack of support for the student that leads parents to choose homeschooling. A common phenomenon is that many believe that homeschooled children are isolated from society, a myth that Saarnisto says is not true.

— Children who are taught at home also have friends. They have hobbies and even have more time and energy for them than children in elementary school.

A challenge

Education counselor Riia Palmqvist from the Finnish National Agency for Education believes the increase is due to the fact that remote work increased during the coronavirus crisis and that many Finns still work remotely. Since there is no remote alternative for elementary school, parents instead choose homeschooling.

However, Palmqvist emphasizes that homeschooling is demanding and that there is a risk that the child will not gain sufficient competence to continue studying.

— It can be difficult to get into upper secondary school or vocational school if you don’t have proof of your competence, she says.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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