The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is preparing a permit that will allow for the culling of 20 wolves next year.
In a statement released on Monday, the ministry said that granting the permission is aimed at securing a balance between a viable wolf population and meeting the needs of people living in areas where wolves roam.
"Hunting regulates the growth of the wolf population, prevents injuries and fosters the acceptability of wolves," Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Jari Leppä (Cen) stated in the ministry's press release.
Greens call on ministry to await agency report
Maria Ohisalo,Interior Minister and chair of the Green Party, tweeted her response to the ministry's statement on Monday evening, calling the plan "outrageous".
Other MPs have also publicly expressed their opinions, with a clear dividing line between Centre Party politicians and Greens.
Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen (Green) was also opposed to the ministry's plans, writing on Twitter that the decree should be shelved until a report by Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) has been completed.
"The [report's] premise is that wolves will receive a scientifically- and independently-determined level of protection, and that this level is not exceeded or compromised. The analysis work will be completed in autumn 2022," Mikkonen wrote.
Luke's two-year research project aims to identify and propose ways to conserve Finland's wolf population, and the institute echoed Minister Mikkonen's criticisms of the culling plans.
"The Natural Resources Institute Finland condemns the wolf quota hunting plans as premature, as the assessment of the conservation level of the country's wolf population is still in progress," Luke said in a press release.
Leppä: Ministry cannot wait for Luke's report
Luke published an interim report on the conservation project at the beginning of September, with one key finding being that Finland's wolf population is currently too small to remain genetically viable.
However, Agriculture and Forestry Minister of Leppä told Yle that injuries caused by wolves, as well as feelings of fear and insecurity, have increased at such a rate that the ministry cannot wait any longer for Luke's research to be completed before taking action.
"The number of wolves is now increasing very rapidly in Finland, and we need this one tool that is currently missing from managing the numbers. That is why we want to get moving. However, we first wanted to wait for Luke's interim report," Leppä said, adding that Finland's long Eastern border with Russia will ensure that the genetic diversity of the wolf is maintained.
Luke's interim report stated that inbreeding is reflected in the wolf population in southwestern Finland, which is not affected by the migration of wolves from the Karelia region of Russia.
Wolves are protected, endangered species
According to the EU Habitats Directive, the wolf is a strictly protected species outside the reindeer husbandry area of Finland. However, protection may be waived if a clear hunting quota is set and authorities can demonstrate that there is no other satisfactory solution.
The quota set by the ministry for next year would be 20 wolves outside the reindeer husbandry area and would not apply to wolves killed by police order, or to injury and safety-based exemptions granted by the Finnish Wildlife Agency.
The ministry aims to issue the decree in early December, meaning hunting of wolves could begin after the turn of the year.
According to Luke's latest figures, there were about 28 wolf packs in Finland in March and about 20 "pairs" of wolves.
"The term "pack" refers to a group of three or more wolves that mostly move together and share the same territory, while "pair" refers to two wolves that move together and share a territory. A majority of the wolf population lives in packs or pairs during the wintertime," the institute explained the terms.
Finland's wolf population is currently at its highest level during the past 100 years, the figures reveal.