In Finland, the lynx is a game animal species. Responsibility for the management and maintenance of the lynx population lies with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. At the regional level, the responsible bodies for game animal management are the game management districts, which are administrative units of the Finnish game administration and of the regional level of the statutory hunters’ organisation. The growth of the lynx population in the past few years and their spread to new areas combined with the emergence of lynx population concentrations have brought new challenges for lynx population management in Finland. The Finnish lynx population has not been this abundant since the 19th century.

The objectives set for lynx population management are to a certain extent conflicting, both on national and international levels. The Management Plan for the Lynx Population in Finland was drawn up applying the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, Recommendations of the Standing Committee No 59 (1997) and No 74 (1999) as well as the IUCN’s principle of sustainable use and on the obligations laid down in Council Directive 92/43/EC on the protection of natural habitats and wild flora and fauna (the Habitats Directive), so as to fulfil the international obligations placed on Finland. In drawing up the management plan there was a broad hearing of local people, regional actors and national stakeholder groups.

The management plan presents the basic socio-economic outlines of policy based on the biology of the lynx or which are considered important. By implementing these policy outlines, Finland will continue systematic management of the lynx population and establish the lynx population as a permanent feature of Finnish nature and its biodiversity. The basic objective of Finland’s lynx population management and protection is to maintain the population at a favourable conservation level. The objective will be implemented by the combined effect of measures under various headings. The measures are presented regionally under the headings of lynx population management, damage prevention and the costs of damage prevention, compensation for loss and damage, exceptions to the protected status of the lynx, monitoring and research on the lynx population and their development, training, advisory services and information, supervision of hunting, transplantation of lynx, cooperation between various interested parties on national and international levels, updating of the management plan, and responsibilities for population management. In the measures to be implemented, consideration will be given to economic and social requirements and special regional and local features. The implementation of the management plan will be monitored and it will be updated as necessary.