Friday, July 4, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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

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.

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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Peace activist urges NATO–Russia cooperation over toxic munitions on Baltic Sea floor

The new cold war

Published 1 July 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Approximately 40 tons of hazardous chemical warfare agents lie scattered on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, according to experts.
2 minute read

An estimated 1.6 million tons of World War II ammunition still lies at the bottom of the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

According to experts, this not only poses a security threat but also a growing environmental risk – and removal should be done through international cooperation rather than individual initiatives.

The majority of the ammunition, primarily left behind by Nazi Germany, consists of conventional shells. However, about 40 tons contain dangerous chemical warfare agents, including mustard gas and phosgene. After decades underwater, many of the containers have begun to corrode, posing a threat to the marine ecosystem and potentially to coastal areas.

– The question was how to deal with the recovery of these poison time bombs for the biosphere of the Baltic Sea. Of course, due to the corrosion of these vessels, there is a danger for the fish and the plants, and other countries, says German publicist and peace activist Bernhard Trautvetter in an interview with RT.

He emphasizes that the responsibility cannot lie with a single country and that NATO countries in the Baltic region, as well as Russia, which has access to these waters through its exclave of Kaliningrad and the St. Petersburg area, must join forces to “pull this time bomb out of the world”.

German pilot project

Germany launched a pilot project in 2023 to salvage the ammunition, conducting work in the Bay of Lübeck, with the first phase completed in April this year. The authorities described the project as a success but acknowledged that further technical adaptations are needed in areas where ammunition concentrations are particularly high.

The initiative has simultaneously raised concerns among environmental organizations, researchers, and neighboring countries about how the recovery affects the marine environment, especially if conducted without cross-border coordination.

Russia has long expressed concern about the chemical legacy of the war and has repeatedly called for an international effort to clear the seabed of war materials. In practice, however, Russia has been kept out of the efforts made so far, largely due to the deteriorated security situation and the frosty relationship with the West following the initiation of the war in Ukraine.

EU classifies mink as invasive

Biodiversity

Published 25 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Minks threaten biodiversity by preying on birds, amphibians and small mammals, causing great damage to sensitive ecosystems.
2 minute read

The EU’s list of invasive alien species has been updated – mink is now included. However, Finland plans to apply for an exemption to continue fur farming.

The European Union has updated its list of alien species that threaten biodiversity. The species on the list are banned from being imported, sold, bred, cultivated or used within the EU. One of the most notable new additions is the mink – a decision that is causing concern in the Finnish fur industry, which has been heavily criticised in many quarters.

Invasive species are animals and plants that spread to new areas and cause ecological imbalance. They can outcompete native species and cause significant damage to ecosystems. The EU list is intended as a tool to limit their spread and protect biodiversity.

The inclusion of mink in the ban could deal a severe blow to Finland’s controversial fur farms, but Finland hopes to obtain an exemption, as it did in 2017 when the raccoon dog was added to the list.

– The assessment is that Finland is likely to be granted an exemption, says Karin Cederlöf, government secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

North American beaver displacing European variety

If the exemption is approved, mink farming could continue in the country, but under stricter safety requirements. However, no new farms would be allowed to be established.

Finland is now preparing an official request to the EU for an exemption for mink. The government and parliament have given the go-ahead, and work will start immediately after the summer break.

In addition to mink, the North American beaver has also been added to the list. Finland has already taken measures to reduce the spread of the disease in order to protect the endangered European beaver. These efforts will now be further intensified, according to Cederlöf.

Several new bird and fish species as well as plants are also covered by the rules. Among mammals, in addition to mink, sika deer is also among the newly added species.

The EU’s work against invasive species is usually described as a central part of the Union’s environmental strategy, and the list is updated regularly as new threats are identified. For Finland, the decisions represent a delicate balance between nature conservation and economic interests – and the exemption for mink could be decisive for the future of the fur industry.

Finns ate more meat last year

Published 21 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
1 minute read

Last year, people in Finland ate more meat and chicken than the year before. At the same time, oat consumption set a new record in the Finnish diet, according to a new study.

Last year, Finns ate 78.2 kilograms of meat per person, including game and offal. Most of the meat, 76.2 kilograms, was beef, pork, lamb and chicken.

The consumption of beef in particular has decreased for several years in a row, but last year it increased, according to a survey by the Finnish Natural Resources Institute. The amount of chicken on the plate also increased in Finnish homes. At the same time, less pork and mutton was eaten. The consumption of fish remained seemingly unchanged, with each Finn eating an average of 13.7 kilograms last year.

Cereal consumption increased last year, reaching 87.3 kg per person. The main increase was in the amount of oats consumed, which reached record levels last year. Wheat and barley consumption also increased, while rye decreased.

– Here we see something of a trend. This is because the food industry has created a lot of new oat products. Part of this trend is also that Finns are drinking more oat milk, says statistics expert Erja Mikkola, to Finnish state broadcaster Yle.

Regular milk drinking decreased by about two percent, but people ate about the same amount of butter and cheese as in the previous year. Furthermore, each Finn ate an average of 48 kilograms of fruit and 64 kilograms of vegetables last year.

Chimpanzees caught on camera sharing alcoholic fruit

Published 14 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
2 minute read

For the first time, wild chimpanzees have been documented eating and sharing fruit containing alcohol. The research team speculates that this behavior could be described as an early evolutionary stage of “feasting”.

Researchers from the University of Exeter in England set up ten separate cameras with motion sensors in a national park in Guinea-Bissau in West Africa. There, they captured chimpanzees sharing the fermented fruit Treculia africana. The fruit contained an alcohol content of up to 0.61 percent. The behavior raises questions about whether and why chimpanzees consciously seek out alcohol.

– For humans, we know that drinking alcohol leads to a release of dopamine and endorphins, and resulting feelings of happiness and relaxation, said Anna Bowland, one of the researchers behind the study, in a press release, continuing:

We also know that sharing alcohol – including through traditions such as feasting – helps to form and strengthen social bonds. So – now we know that wild chimpanzees are eating and sharing ethanolic fruits – the question is: could they be getting similar benefits?

The amount observed is probably not enough to get the chimpanzees drunk, but the researchers estimate that the filmed episodes only provide a small glimpse into how much fermented fruit the animals eat in a day, as their diet consists of 60-85 percent fruit.

Researchers believe that more research is needed into why chimpanzees eat fermented fruit together, but speculate that the behavior may represent an early evolutionary stage of “feasting”.

Chimps don’t share food all the time, so this behaviour with fermented fruit might be important, says Dr. Kimberley Hockings of the University of Exeter. “If so, it suggests the human tradition of feasting may have its origins deep in our evolutionary history”.

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