Moose Damage Swedish Forestry Industry

The natural growth of the moose population in Sweden is very high, up to 50% per year.

Tree Munching moose are wreaking havok on the Swedish forestry industry. By feeding on the bark, leaves and branches of young trees between 10 and 13 feet high, the 350,000 resident moose are making a big dent in production. If the fibers are badly damaged, it doesn't get noticed until they're cut into small pieces in the sawmills and then most of them have to be thrown out. As a result, the industry has requested that the hunting quotas be raised to keep the exploding moose population in check. Sweden is home to almost half the global population of moose who graze on young pine and birch trees, North America also has a large moose population however the severe winters and natural enemies such as bears and wolves keep the population in check. The only control in Sweden is hunting, and one-third of the moose who roam the Swedish woods are killed legally by hunters each year. There have been no protests so far because most people in Sweden understand that the forest is one of their most important natural resources. After all, other industries could move to other places, but the forest can't. Last year 108 million cubic yards of Swedish forests were lumbered with an export value of $14.5 billion. That amounts to 13 percent of Sweden's total exports.