ELY Centre investigates violations of Nature Conservation Act in Kainuu

On September 5, Kainuu’s ELY Centre inspected two sites, one of which has reportedly engaged in activities that contradict the Nature Conservation Act. Both locations involve freshwater pearl mussels. The other site pertains to a suspected violation previously reported by Stora Enso last week. According to the ELY Centre, the findings will lead to further actions.

Stora Enso had reported new suspected damages to pearl mussels to the Kainuu ELY Centre at the end of August. The company indicated that at another logging area, there are allegations of improper crossing of a pearl mussel stream against established guidelines. Neither the ELY Centre nor Stora Enso has disclosed where the damage is believed to have occurred. By law, the locations of endangered freshwater mussels are confidential.

It is known, however, that the stream in question is located within Kainuu, under the jurisdiction of the Kainuu ELY Centre, where approximately 20 pearl mussel rivers exist. It has also not been previously revealed whether the same contractor responsible for logging in Suomussalmi’s Hukkajoki, where the protected pearl mussel river is alleged to have been crossed hundreds of times, was involved in these recent activities. The police are investigating the Hukkajoki case as a severe breach of environmental protection laws, with several individuals suspected of wrongdoing.

Following the revelation of the Hukkajoki incident, Stora Enso announced a temporary halt to logging activities across all its sites in Finland associated with environmental protection restrictions. The company is also reviewing current logging operations and past areas located in sensitive natural sites.