The ruling permits the culling of a total of 182 bears under specific regional quotas, with the season open until the end of October.Yle News13:04The hunting of bears is permitted once again in certain parts of Finland after the lifting of a two-year ban, with the season beginning on Thursday 20 August and ending on 31 October.The Supreme Administrative Court passed a ruling in June which allows for the culling of a total of 182 bears under specific regional quotas.For the past two years, bear hunting was suspended outside reindeer herding areas due to legal appeals challenging the legality of culling permits. The court's ruling dismissed these appeals on the grounds that hunting is needed to prevent bears from causing damage to property or threatening people's safety.The permits are concentrated in eastern and central Finland. North Karelia received the most permits with 118, followed by Southeast Finland with 24, South Savo with 14, and smaller quotas in Kainuu, Central Finland, and North Savo.Hunting groups have welcomed the move, as Finland's bear population has grown to an estimated 2,400 individuals — according to figures provided by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) — and humans are encountering bears at a significantly increased rate, particularly near residential areas.Sauli Härkönen, head of public administrative tasks at the Finnish Wildlife Agency, has urged hunters to prioritise bears that have caused documented problems, emphasising that the season runs until late October and there is no rush to meet quotas.However, nature conservation groups have criticised the court's decision, arguing it violates European Union directives on the protection of native species.