White-tailed geese to become game species under new hunting rules

White-tailed geese and cormorants will become game species from the beginning of September and may be hunted under specified conditions, Yle reports. The legal change follows damage caused by the birds to agriculture and fishing.

Protective hunting is a common term for an exception to bird protection rules, said Lauri Peippo, acting game manager for Southeast Finland at the Finnish Wildlife Agency.

Hunters have shown particular interest in hunting white-tailed geese, Peippo said. The birds migrate in flocks numbering in the thousands, so catches could initially be large. However, the geese quickly learn to avoid areas where they are hunted. This is intended to protect fields containing critical crops.

There are no catch quotas for white-tailed geese or cormorants, but hunters must report birds they shoot to the Finnish Wildlife Agency.

Hunting limited to production fields

White-tailed geese may be hunted only in fields growing crops for sale or feed for livestock. At least five white-tailed geese must be in or above the field when shooting begins.

In practice, hunters must discuss with farmers which fields may be used for hunting, Peippo said. Fields where the geese are not hunted must also be available to them.

Protective hunting of white-tailed geese is permitted throughout the year, including during the spring migration in April and May. Hunting must be planned so that it does not disturb protected birds that are nesting or migrating at the same time.

Peippo said normal hunting involving individual shots is generally considered unlikely to harm other birds.

Discretion urged

Cormorants may be hunted within 300 metres of fishing gear from the beginning of August until the end of February.

The fishing gear does not have to be used professionally or remain in the water for a long period. In theory, a hunter could therefore place a fish trap in the water and wait beside it for cormorants.

The law also theoretically allows the use of goose calls and decoys during protective hunting of white-tailed geese.

Peippo said he hoped hunters would consider why the law was introduced and what it is intended to achieve. It is an exception under the Hunting Act, rather than unrestricted hunting, he said.