Government has set aside 430,000 euros to help NGOs, companies and municipalities eradicate invasive species in their communities.
The allocation is part of a special programme set up by the Ministry of Agriculture to weed out and control harmful flora and fauna in Finland, increase biodiversity and strengthen cooperation among organisations work to scale back the presence of non-indigenous species. Combatting invasive species will also help restore indigenous species to treated areas, the ministry said.
The Kainuu Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (Ely-keskus) will be responsible for managing the funding programme. It will bankroll half the cost of an eradication project, while organisations or municipalities are expected to pay for the other half, either via self-financing or contributions.
Invasive species coordinator Reima Leinonen said that groups planning to join the ministry programme to root out unwanted species should begin the work of planning, finding cooperation partners and seeking self-financing options.
"They should first investigate the prevalence of invasive species and whether or not there are several species in the vicinity that could be cost-effectively controlled at the same time," he noted.
Funding for projects will be granted in autumn, with actual work expected to begin in 2021. The money can be used for eradication, advisory services and post-eradication monitoring.
In 2012, Finland adopted an invasive species strategy, which aims to mitigate the damage and risk caused by non-indigenous flora and fauna.
Invasive species classified as harmful in Finland (content in Finnish) include large-leaved lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus), the Spanish slug (Arion vulgaris), Canadian pondweed (Elodea canadensis) and Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) among many others.