“A dispute over the protection of the Saimaa ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis), a critically endangered species, is causing deep divisions among political parties in Finland. The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, the largest environmental organization in Finland, called for a ban on the use of fishnets in Lake Saimaa during the spring in order to prevent the extinction of this highly vulnerable species.
Sirkka-Liisa Anttila, the centre party’s Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, is trying to promote voluntary agreements: fishermen who stop using nets in waters where they have exclusive fishing rights will receive compensation.
Many government and opposition MPs find Minister Anttila’s proposals difficult to swallow: not all owners of fishing rights have signed agreements and continue using nets…”
Endangered Saimaa Ringed Seal lives only in the lake of Saimaa in Finland. There are only about 260 seals left. This spring about 60 females will reproduce, and it is estimated that nearly half of seal pups will be drowned when they get entangled into fishnets of recreational fishermen. The seal population can’t survive if this will go on.
There is a solution. A total ban of fishing nets at the Ringed Saimaa seal breeding areas from 15th April to 30th June. The fishermen could still use other kind of fishing methods, for example seal safe fish traps.
There is also an obstacle. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sirkka-Liisa Anttila (Centre), favors voluntary conservation and random compensations to fishermen.
The CEO of Alma Media Corporation Mr. Kai Telanne fired the newly-appointed editor-in-chief of the Lapin Kansa newspaper Ms. Johanna Korhonen on October 1st 2008. Lapin Kansa is the largest newspaper in Lapland, Northern Finland. The reason of the sacking seems to be that Alma Media found out that Johanna Korhonen is living in a registered partnership with another woman. Korhonen says Alma Media offered her about 100 000 euros of hush money, if she would resign silently from the post.
The event has raised a lot of protests and boycotting campaigns against Alma Media in Finland. The journalists working for Lapin Kansa have demanded the resignation of the Alma Media CEO Telanne.
To add some pepper to the soap, the retiring editor-in-chief of Lapin Kansa Mr. Heikki-Tuomi Nikula said to YLE Finland that an openly gay person would have a difficult time in working in the job. “I find it quite peculiar that there would be an open lesbian here. Someone could be in the closet, and I’m sure there are people like that around.” The journalists working for Lapin Kansa have demanded the resignation of editor Tuomi-Nikula too.
Alma Media has denied accusations and claims that Korhonen has been lying during the process. The case is going to be continued in court.
I drew the cartoon above about gay mallards in 2002 for the Suomen Luonto magazine after the Finnish parliament had passed the law allowing gay people to register as couples. It was a comment for those who say homosexuality is unnantural. For example mallards and geese are known to have male gay couples. The BBC Wildlife magazine reports in the August 2008 issue that homosexual behaviour has been recorded in more than 450 animal species.
