The objective of Finland’s National Strategy on Invasive Alien Species, adopted by the Government on March 15th 2012 as a Government Resolution, is to prevent the damage and risks caused by invasive species to Finnish nature, while promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, trade and industry, socio-economic wellbeing and the wellbeing of people. The goal of the Strategy is to minimise the risk of invasive alien species already established in Finland or that have a probability of being introduced to Finland.
The measures proposed in the Strategy address invasive alien species introduced to Finland by human action, intentionally or unintentionally, which are spreading uncontrollably and causing harmful impacts. The purpose of the Strategy is to prevent the introduction to Finland of new, invasive alien species that spread uncontrollably.
Based on the proposal prepared by the working group on a National Strategy on Invasive Alien Species. The proposal for Finland's National Strategy on Invasive Alien Species was prepared in collaboration between a broadly-based working group and experts, involving a total of more than 100 people. The Strategy includes extensive background material and an Action Plan.
Alien species, that are classified as harmful in the national Strategy on Invasive Alien Species and are not - at least for the time being - included on either EU or natiaonal lists are therefore ordinary, i.e. non-invasive, alien species as far as the alien species regulations are concerned. However, it is forbidden to release such alien species into the environment.
The most important way to combat and prevent the spread of harmful alien species is to spread information as efficiently as possible about the harm caused by the species and about the methods available for combating them. For instance, voluntary information or eradication campaigns can be used for this purpose in the same way as for the prevention of the listed species.