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Finland’s national bird care center faces closure due to drastic funding cuts

Tuesday 9th 2024 on 18:20 in  
Finland

For years, Arto Hokkanen has operated a national bird care center in the neighboring municipality of Kotka in Pyhtää, Finland, with the help of two full-time workers. The center rehabilitates injured birds and releases them back into the wild.

However, Hokkanen is now at the limits of his endurance. The constant worry about the amount of future financial assistance and the annual application for new aid is taking its toll. The Ministry of the Environment has reduced its support for the animal care center so much that Hokkanen may soon be unable to maintain it. The ministry previously supported the operation with €150,000, but this year, the aid has dropped to €47,000.

Hokkanen fears that if the aid remains this low next year, he may have to close the center entirely. “I haven’t had a vacation in years. When the money is so small, I have to work every day,” says Hokkanen, who is a self-taught animal caretaker. His work partner, Marjaana Hokkanen, is a professional animal caretaker. On weekends, they are helped by veterinary nurse Minna Rissanen.

The animal care center currently needs a third full-time worker as the number of birds brought in for care is increasing. However, the current aid provided by the Ministry is not even enough to pay the existing workers’ salaries. Last year, the center cared for 430 birds. In addition to injured birds, hedgehogs and squirrels are also brought to the center. The animals mostly come from the Southeastern Finland region.

Before, the state provided support for three years at a time. But five years ago, the support structure changed so that the ministry only grants aid for one year at a time. “The minimum of €150,000 is the amount we need to keep our operation running,” Hokkanen explains.

This year, the center was able to continue its operations due to a sad event. A woman from Hamina passed away and bequeathed her wealth to the animal care center. This allowed the center to receive €80,000 in legacy funds, which will help them get through the year. Hokkanen hopes that state funding can once again be established for three years so that they won’t have to worry about funding every year.

Arto Hokkanen has submitted a support application to each municipality in the Kymenlaakso region. The municipality of Pyhtää has received the application and will process it later this summer. Hokkanen has requested a €7,000 grant from Pyhtää. The Mayor of Pyhtää, Terhi Lindholm, hopes that the animal care center can continue its operations in the future.

If the bird care center in Pyhtää closes down, the fate of the most severely injured birds will be grim. “The birds that can be released will be released. The rest of the birds would probably then be put down,” Hokkanen estimates. He hopes that decision-makers understand that an animal care center cannot just suddenly be shut down. They would need to know sufficiently in advance. “We always have live birds, and more keep coming,” Hokkanen adds.