Finnish forestry company Stora Enso Oyj suspended some logging activities after thousands of endangered freshwater pearl mussels died at one of its sites.
Harvesting was stopped in all areas across Finland that fall under environment-law restrictions, according to a statement from the Helsinki-based company on Monday.
Thousands of protected mussels perished at a Stora Enso harvesting site in northern Finland after a contractor’s logging machines repeatedly crossed their shallow river habitat, stirring up mud and sand that is suffocating more of the animals downstream. While logging was permitted at the site with certain restrictions, crossing the river on the site of the mussel habitat was not.
The destruction has sparked a loud public outcry in the Nordic country since the news broke last week. Environmental groups and politicians have joined the public in slamming the company for negligence and carelessness. It also sets Stora up to potentially pay a hefty bill, with the cost of killing a protected freshwater pearl mussel set at €589 ($659) each in Finnish law.
Authorities have also noted the company failed to leave an adequate buffer zone of trees on the sides of the river to provide shade for the mussels.
While the company hasn’t said who bears responsibility or who would compensate the state for the mussels, it pledged to pay the costs of the restoration work at the Hukkajoki river. The river is home to about 120,000 freshwater pearl mussels, or about 5% of the species’ population in Finland.
The incident was discovered Aug. 15, but it’s unclear how long activity has been going on before then.
The Finnish forestry company said it has now taken numerous measures to ensure similar incidents could not happen again after it became subject to an investigation into a serious nature-conservation crime.
Stora said it is also offering additional training on environmental policies and guidelines for its workers and contractors and has launched its own internal investigation into the events at the Hukkajoki river.
Works won’t restart until Stora has reassessed operational guidelines, harvesting plans and risks, it said.
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