On the hunt for sustainability
Hunters collect the data and make the observations, and on the basis of these figures, the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute draws up accurate nationwide estimates of the numbers of each species.
The estimates produced are used for making decisions about hunting and protection, so that hunting is carried out on the basis of sustainable use. Many species of game have actually increased their population over the last few decades even though the number of hunters has also increased and forestry and the draining of wetlands have caused the natural habitats of many species to shrink.
The key method of counting is the game triangle count, which has been performed for 19 years. With this, the number of each species is monitored in summer and winter. In summer, the numbers of grouse are monitored on the basis of direct observations, and in winter, game mammals are monitored on the basis of their tracks.
A game triangle is a triangular counting line marked out on the ground; each side of the triangle is four kilometres long. The triangle count is usually the responsibility of a number of volunteers or even of several associations. There are about 1,700 triangles laid out in the terrain throughout Finland, and every year a reliable estimate is obtained from about 1,000 of them.
BY JUSSI-PEKKA AUKIA
