Tractor 'multiple' times across stream, killing thousands of endangered species

The General Directorate for Forestry began operations to save mollusks and restore the damaged section of the Hukkajoki River in the Kainuu region at the end of the week. It was then revealed that the protected area had been seriously damaged during felling and removal of timber. The operator of a multi-purpose forest tractor crossed the stream several hundred times, causing it to become seriously silted up, the forest service revealed. Stora Enso management admitted that its crawler machine had crossed the river “many times”. The company's management apologized for the incident, promising to “take responsibility for the environmental damage”.

Forest service workers are carrying rescued mussels in buckets upstream. Thousands have died, but it is impossible to accurately estimate the extent of the loss or how many of those rescued will survive, the Department of Economic Development, Transport and Environment (Ely-keskus) said in a statement.

The police classified the case as a serious environmental crime. The riverbed was damaged for a distance of about 150-200 meters. Minister of the Environment Kai Mykkaenen called on the company to cover the costs of the rescue operation.

Freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) is considered an endangered species in Europe and is listed in the Red Data Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The mussel takes nutrients from the river and at the same time filters the water. It is one of the longest-living organisms in the world. Individuals can live up to 200-300 years. In Poland, this species is considered extinct and is subject to strict protection. In Finland, the mussel is present primarily in forest rivers and streams in the northern part of the country and in Lapland. Hukkajoki has so far been considered the best environment in the country for the development of this species in the zone south of the Arctic Circle.