Mika Asikainen

The tools for the protection of birds certainly do exist", says Mika Asikainen, executive director of BirdLife Finland.

There are important bird areas in all parts of Finland, but the greatest number is in the far reaches of Finnish Lapland, where there are many nature protection areas with a wide diversity of bird species, including the broad-billed sandpiper.The bird habitats in the south of Finland are smaller than in the north. There are also many areas in the archipelagos that are rich in birds.A significant proportion of the world's lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus) and mergansers (Mergus) live in the large lakes of Eastern Finland.Other important bird habitats include the marshes of Northern Ostrobothnia and the forests that run along Finland's eastern border. In addition to the nesting places, areas where migratory birds make rest stops are also important.

Mika Asikainen, European WBF Co-ordinator, BirdLife Finland email: mika.asikainen@birdlife.fi

Mika Asikainen,European WBF Co-ordinator