Finland’s wildlife agency oversold 4,000 waterfowl hunting permits in Upper Lapland

Finland’s state-owned Metsähallitus sold 4,000 more waterfowl hunting permits than intended for Upper Lapland due to a system error, the agency confirmed to Yle.

The June permit sale offered 6,300 licences, but a malfunction in the eräluvat.fi service caused by high demand allowed approximately 10,300 to be issued. The error affected Utsjoki, Inari, and Enontekiö.

Metsähallitus sets total quotas based on game population sizes, with daily limits preventing overcrowding. The agency stated it will compensate for the excess in August’s permit sale, after final game counts and hunting season details are confirmed.

Some hunters still face unresolved permit issues, and Metsähallitus said it will contact those affected directly. Digital services chief Jari Haarala said the agency is working with its service provider to prevent a recurrence.

Upper Lapland’s 27 hunting areas typically sell out waterfowl permits within seconds. Demand has previously led to permit misuse, with a noted spike in waterfowl and hare licence sales when waterfowl permits are exhausted.