The roles of regional large carnivore consultative committees in conflict management

Regional large carnivore consultative committees (RLCCs) have been developed in Finland to act as informal, voluntary forums for the authorities and representatives of non-governmental organizations. The RLCCs deal with the governance of large carnivores and attempt to mitigate related conflicts. Most members of the RLCCs feel that the committees have been able to mitigate conflicts well.

The current broad representation of interests is commonly seen as sufficiently extensive to enhance conflict management at the countyregional level. The committees have promoted interaction between the regional interests by arranging opportunities for face-to-face information exchange concerning large carnivores. There is, however, a shared perception that information exchange between the RLCC and other actors:, including the region’s citizens, the actors in other regions and the administration at the national level, should be increased. RLCC members also consider it necessary to continue the ongoing positive progress in building mutual interaction, trust and appreciation between interest organizations with different attitudes towards large carnivores.

Most of the participating stakeholder groups want the committees to remain unofficial institutions, as they are at present. A majority also approves of an official consultative status for the RLCCs in the management plans for large carnivores. The views of the stakeholder groups were most clearly divided over the need for increasing the decision-making power of the committees.

More information:

Pekka Salmi
Fisheries Sociologist
Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute
Saimaa Fisheries Research and Aquaculture
Laasalantie 9, FIN-58175 Enonkoski, Finland
Phone +358 295 327 623
Fax +358 205 751 609
E-mail: firstname.lastname@rktl.fi

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