The punitive damages for destroying a single nest stands at 235 euros, making a total sum of around 635,000 euros.
Chief Inspector Timo Avanti of Finland’s Environmental Administration says nest wreckers are usually not caught.
"It would be big money if we could catch someone. If we could only get just one case into the courts," laments Avanti.
Most of the nests affected in municipalities in the southern archipelago area. Avanti says the attacks have altered the birds’ behavior.
“A worried flock will move to another island and nest. This causes damage to the trees. People are totally unaware of the consequences of such vandalism”, Avanti says.
Officials are making greater use of surveillance cameras to track the vandals. Help has also been requested from frontier guard officials.
The cormorant first nested in Finland in 1996 mainly as result of changes in Southern Baltic bird migration trends. Its population growth is now three times less than when first came to Finnish waters. An estimated 16,000 pairs are said to nest in Finland.