Executive assistance in large game matters

SRVA (“Suurriistavirka-apu”) is an organisation maintained by game management organisations, coordinating executive assistance provided by hunters to the police in conflicts involving large game.

The police may need help from voluntary hunters and dog handlers, for example, to track down moose and large carnivores injured in traffic accidents or to drive away large carnivores that have strayed into areas near human settlements. Hunters ensure that the obligations laid down in the Animal Welfare Act are fulfilled: animals in a helpless state must always be helped.

Local hunting clubs and tracking dog handlers also participate in providing executive assistance. Tracking dog handlers train and guide the handlers of dogs used to track large carnivores and cervids and maintain up-to-date contact detail lists of dog patrols.

In moose-vehicle collisions, the request for executive assistance is sent directly from the emergency response centre to the SRVA contact person, who then conveys the information to the hunters who will track the animal. In large carnivore incidents, activities are directed by the police, who contact the local SRVA contact person.