By Burak Bir
LONDON (AA) - Researchers have sounded the alarm over biodiversity loss in Finland as more than half of underwater species have become rarer in some of the country’s lakes and rivers.
Researchers at the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) warned of decline in plant and animal populations in Finland’s rivers, stream and its 188,000 lakes including some previously common species.
Speaking to public broadcaster Yle, Syke researcher Anna Suuronen said that in areas with intensive land use, negative impacts are "clearly visible."
"For example, in small streams affected by forestry, more than 50% of common species have declined," she said. "The overall condition of freshwater systems varies significantly by region, with some lakes and rivers remaining nearly pristine."
Juha Ojaharju, fishing specialist at the Finnish Federation for Recreational Fishing (FFC), suggested that people should change their fishing habits. "In discussions with our members, it often comes to light that certain fish species are rarer than before, so people have had to change their fishing habits," he said.
Jukka Aroviita, the lead researcher on the project about the country's biodiversity loss in inland waters, said they, for the first time, were able to assess the state of species diversity at the national and regional level.
The key takeaway, said Suuronen, is that some forestry and farming practices are contributing to the degradation and loss of biodiversity – but that the situation could be improved by better land use planning.
She also mentioned that more effective buffer zones between fields and streams could also reverse the trend.