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Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker with the offences believed to have taken place between 2019 and 2023 in and around the town of Lapinlahti in North Savo Open image viewerPolice found the remains of this lynx during the preliminary investigation 11:25The trial of the largest case of suspected poaching in Finnish legal history began at North Savo District Court in Kuopio on Monday morning Poaching refers to the illegal hunting or catching of animals or fish in contravention of protection laws There are a total of 31 suspects in the case with the offences believed to have taken place in and around the town of Lapinlahti Following the completion of the pre-trial investigation police said they suspected that the poachers had killed at least one wolverine three wolves as well as a number of protected bird species including swans and hawks One of the wolves believed to have been killed by the group was being monitored at the time by Finland's natural resources institute including 14 counts of aggravated hunting offences five environmental offences as well as three firearms offences Open image viewerPolice found the remains of two lynx cubs which they suspect the hunting group killed illegally Image: Antti-Petteri Karhunen / YlePolice said the case is exceptional because of the large number of animals killed and the fact that the illegal hunting practices continued for years Investigators believe the poaching was intentional and carefully organised and the activities were hidden under the guise of hunting smaller animals Evidence uncovered during the course of the pre-trial investigation suggested that the group even tried to illegally hunt bears in April 2021 who resigned when the charges came to light When interviewed by police during the preliminary probe the defendants said they were motivated to act as they did by a lack of hunting permits and general dissatisfaction with how Finnish authorities were managing animal populations Open image viewerPolice believe a wolf being tracked by Finland's natural resources institute fell victim to the poachers Detective Inspector Harri-Pekka Pohjolainen told Yle that some of the defendants killed seven swans "on a whim" during a road trip in the summer of 2019 the defendants could face custodial sentences if they are found guilty of the suspected crimes They are also likely to be ordered to pay hefty fines the fine for the unlawful killing of an adult wolverine is 16,000 euros while the amount for killing a wolf is 9,000 euros the investment is intended to replace the current manufacturing apparatus which has reached the end of its technical service life Finnish food major Valio has announced plans to invest €60m ($65.3m) in cheese production at a domestic plant The deal will see the Lapinlahti factory expanded by 2,000 square metres to encompass new cheesemaking equipment a new packaging operation and a new power sub-station and back-up power The company said the investment is intended to replace the current manufacturing apparatus and a new production line is expected to be up and running in the spring of 2026 we secure the continuity of cheese production for a long time to come everyday favourite ‘Valio Hyvä suomalainen Arki’ and dozens of other cheeses will continue to be found on store shelves.” Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis “The investment will also reduce the waste generated in production and boost the cheesemaking capacity of the Lapinlahti plant.” Lapinlahti is one of Valio’s largest facilities It receives about a quarter of Valio’s raw milk a total of approximately 415 million litres per year The factory produces cheeses primarily for the domestic market but it exports some produce to countries including the US Valio has actively developed the Lapinlahti plant and invested especially in the plant’s powder production The most recent investment is a consumer product packaging plant the plant underwent a major energy renovation […],” said the dairy maker The Lapinlahti factory employs around 285 people In April this year, Valio announced plans to close two food and drinks manufacturing facilities in Finland located in the south-western coastal city of Turku processes the company’s plant-based range Oddlygood berry soups and glogg (a type of mulled wine) Operations at the affected sites are to be transferred to Valio’s plant in Riihimäki in the south of the country At the start of this year, the company announced plans to initiate “change negotiations” with 1,170 employees as part of a business restructure Some 130 jobs were said to be at risk at the time Those discussions came to a close in March A total of 89 jobs are now expected to go in the reshuffle and 114 employees will also see changes to “the job descriptions and job content” of their roles Nominations are now open for the prestigious Just Food Excellence Awards - one of the industry's most recognised programmes celebrating innovation This is your chance to showcase your achievements Don't miss the opportunity to be honoured among the best - submit your nomination today Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network HELSINKI FINLAND The City of Helsinki continues to plan the future use of the Lapinlahti Hospital area in interaction with city residents and the users of the area The aim of the planning is to find a sustainable solution for the renovation of the culturally and historically significant property in cooperation with NREP The intention is to keep the current size of the park area and there will be no new construction in the area The City of Helsinki will start planning and detailed planning work in December the aim of which is to renovate the former hospital buildings in Lapinlahti ready for their current and new purpose that suits the nature of the area The aim is to create conditions for the renovation of the premises and for continuing mental health work and open cultural activities alongside other activities The park of the hospital area will remain open to city residents as it is today The plan for placing new buildings in the park area has been abandoned and the planning does not include other new construction in the Lapinlahti area either Real estate development company NREP will continue as the city’s partner in the planning The proposals it has made earlier will be used as a basis for planning in applicable parts it has been proposed that the hostel and work spaces in the main building be renovated which are welcomed from both Helsinki residents and the current users of the area the city collects opinions from city residents through the Kerrokantasi service until 20 January 2023 Users of the area and other people interested will also have the opportunity to participate in the planning in workshops to be arranged in spring for which more detailed information will be available later The detailed planning related to the planning is scheduled to begin in early 2023. When the zoning begins, those involved will be informed of its stages by letter, for example, and through the map service and the Plan Alert Service Hospital operations in Lapinlahti ended in 2008 and its annexes are in need of renovation and have been waiting a long time for a decision on which purpose the buildings will be renovated for the aim of the city is to give up premises that are not used for its own services the premises in Lapinlahti have been rented to Osuuskunta Lapinlahden Tilajakamo and Lapinlahden Lähde Oy the City of Helsinki is now planning a new kind of ownership arrangement in which one the goals is to secure the possibility to also continue renting the premises for non-profit activities alongside other activities in the future The plan is that the City of Helsinki and NREP will establish a joint real estate company in the future owning and renting the premises in Lapinlahti The city could either sell or hand over the buildings to the new company Kiinteistö Oy Kaapelitalo is involved in investigating the whole arrangement because the company has experience in similar projects in Kaapelitehdas and Suvilahti Guidelines of the City Board guide planning Planning for the Lapinlahti Hospital is based on the City Board’s decision from 2020 on guidelines for the preservation and renovation of the area the Urban Environment Division proposed selling the hospital buildings to NREP which had won the competitive tender for the development of the area a hotel would have been built near the hospital The City Board rejected the proposal and decided that the city will commission an investigation on how Lapinlahti can be restored and preserved in another way The point of departure in the investigation was that the park will remain at its current size and that the buildings will remain open to city residents to a sufficient extent non-governmental and cultural activities will remain a part of the area and to outline a fair the City of Helsinki could remain the owner or co-owner of the buildings though efforts would be needed to find external operators for the development NREP and the winning proposal had to be included in the overall investigation Possible additional construction could be planned for the area where Länsiväylä begins in accordance with the City Board’s decision no construction is planned for the area in question but the city is negotiating with NREP about possible new construction sites elsewhere in Helsinki The planning work that is about to begin will follow the guidelines set by the City Board and the recommendations given by an external investigator The aim is that the complete operational plan and detailed plan proposal will proceed to political decision-making in autumn 2023 Advertisement inquiries and other after-sales issues: info@helsinkitimes.fi Helsinki Times is the first and only English language newspaper providing news about Finland in English A weekly print edition of Helsinki Times was published from March 2007 up until Feb Helsinki Times is an online-only publication and other groups and individuals interested in Finland from all around the world © Helsinki Times All rights reserved.  Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Please Register or Sign in to view this content Quantum Commodity Intelligence is a premium paid subscription service for professionals in the oil Quantum Biofuels service subscribers have access to: Get in touch with us for subscription information on all Quantum platforms Find upcoming events at the Events.hel.fi website. Find municipal decisions in the Decision-making section. The Port of Helsinki's tunnel project will allow the passenger car ferry traffic to Tallinn to be concentrated at the West Harbour and lorry traffic to and from the harbour to be moved away from the streets. With these new port traffic arrangements, the City of Helsinki will be able to develop the South Harbour into an area that better serves the city's residents. Option A was found to be the most advantageous for the City overall. Factors that especially supported it were its timetable, costs and feasibility. The harbour tunnel is part of the Port of Helsinki's development programme, which is progressing step by step in accordance with the principle decision made by the City Council in 2021. The development programme will ensure the Port's ability to carry out modern port operations and serve the passengers and freight traffic increasingly well. The City of Helsinki aims to make the South Harbour area more attractive by enabling the construction of an architecture and design museum, for example. The next step in the tunnel project is the detailed planning process. The tunnel’s local detailed plan will be processed by the City of Helsinki Urban Environment Committee in late 2024 and decided on by the City Council in autumn 2025. The Port of Helsinki’s aim is to obtain a building permit for the tunnel in 2028. Once completed, the harbour tunnel will allow Tallinn traffic to be concentrated in the West Harbour around the early years of the 2030s. suspended sentences in Finland's largest poaching trialThe case involved 31 defendants with the charges ranging from serious hunting offences to environmental protection violations Open image viewerPictured here: The pelt of "Unna," a collared wolf monitored by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) shot by poachers in Lapinlahti in January 2021 15:07North Savo district court on Monday handed 26 men suspended prison sentences or fines in what police have called Finland's largest poaching trial The crimes mainly occurred in Lapinlahti A total of 31 people faced charges in the case the poachers were suspected of killing protected animals as well as shooting several protected birds The court issued conditional prison sentences The longest sentence imposed was an 18-month suspended one for a 60-year-old defendant Prosecutors had brought charges for 14 serious hunting offences three cases of gross concealment of illegal game three weapons offences and one weapons violation The defendants ranged in age from 24 to 75 Depressaria chaerophylli (Photo: Finnish Museum of Natural History Korkeasaari Zoo is launching its first conservation project focused on insects to protect the critically endangered Depressaria chaerophylli moth whose survival is threatened by habitat loss and planned construction in Helsinki’s Lapinlahti park has only three known habitats in the country: Helsinki The moth depends on the presence of tuberous chervil (Chaerophyllum bulbosum) plants which serve as the sole food source for its larvae Urban development and the overgrowth of open spaces have pushed the species to the brink One of its few remaining habitats lies at the southern edge of Lapinlahti park where the city is planning to build a tunnel for port traffic “Human-driven changes to land use are the leading cause of biodiversity loss Our aim is to develop new conservation methods for the moth beyond its current habitat and to secure its survival in cooperation with the Port of Helsinki,” said Nina Trontti Head of Animal Care and Conservation at Korkeasaari “This marks Korkeasaari’s first conservation initiative focused on insects and nearby nature.” Korkeasaari will draw up a conservation plan and breeding guidelines for the moth which will be carried out on the zoo’s grounds The Port of Helsinki will take responsibility for improving conditions at the Lapinlahti site by planting significant quantities of tuberous chervil according to a multi-year planting schedule The aim is to maintain and expand the plant's presence in the park to prevent further degradation of the moth’s habitat The zoo will raise funds for the project through its Easter-themed “Easter Island” event One euro from each ticket sold will go directly to the conservation initiative The family event will highlight local biodiversity and include activities such as sunflower planting The Depressaria chaerophylli moth’s conservation status has become increasingly urgent With construction plans moving forward and natural areas under growing pressure conservationists hope the initiative will offer a lifeline to the species the long-term goal is to prevent further decline and ensure that the moth continues to survive in Finland’s capital even if parts of its natural habitat become compromised Sign in/UpRegister nowWhy RegisterWORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPSOSAKA (NAGAI STADIUM) Tero Pitkamaki of Finland on his way to victory in the Javelin Throw Final (© Getty Images) JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 42 Sanna Sonninen was driving home from work in Lapinlahti when she met three of her children on the road and stopped to have a chat with them with their five-year old younger sister sitting on the back of Hanna's bike The mother took the youngest girl in her car while the others carried on with their cycling trip "I remember how Matleena rode off on her bike She had only just got home when one of her sons ran to tell her that somebody had driven off the road and onto a field close to their home A car with a driver over the alcohol limit had come from behind Matleena and Hanna and hit the girls only a couple of hundred metres from home Matleena died in the hospital the following day The woman driving the car had a blood alcohol level of 2.58 permille The family's life changed irreversibly because of Matleena's death which shocked the whole community in Lapinlahti in Savo The pain brought on by loss and sorrow was crushing," Sonninen says "Our friends and neighbours and other people from the village visited us organised the funeral and took care of all the paperwork The mother also experienced feelings of bitterness and hatred thinking of what she had done to my daughter." The driver sent the family flowers and a card The Northern Savo District Court gave the 54-year-old driver a sentence of two years and seven months but the Court of Appeal reduced the sentence by five months partly because the distance driven by the woman was short "The ruling seemed insulting and difficult to accept It felt as if the surrounding society was treating drunk drivers with silk gloves," the Sonninens say the family had to battle for Hanna's rights She is not able to run as it causes nausea and headache the family were contacted by numerous people who all had a loved one whose life had ended or changed drastically because someone had made the decision to climb behind the wheel after drinking Many of the people felt that the offenders had got off lightly Jorma Sonninen launched a citizen's initiative calling for tougher sentences for drink driving the Sonninens gave the initiative signed by more than 62,000 people to Parliament "We hope this will spark public discussion on the matter and that decision-makers will take it seriously and consider all the options," says Jorma Sonninen the family has had a new baby but the mother of 11 living children thinks about Matleena every day Minna Pölkki – HS Niina Woolley – HT© HELSINGIN SANOMATImage: Arttu Kokkonen