Image: Marita Vokkolainen

Monitors working for the Finnish forestry administration agency Metsähallitus have reported finding an exceptional amount of prohibited fishing activity in Saimaa Ringed Seal habitats this spring. During the final three days of the monitoring period for example, officials said they found seven illegal fishing nets and several wide-mouth fish traps that pose a danger to seal pups.

"Unfortunately they have come across an unusually high number this spring. In a couple of cases it has obviously been a matter of sheer indifference. The ban on net fishing has been widely communicated," said wildlife inspector Markus Rahikainen.

The inspector said that one of the most glaring cases occurred when monitors encountered a cottage owner pulling up nets in an area where net fishing was prohibited.

"From a distance you could see that he noticed us, and his shoulders dropped. He had no fishing license or anything. We filed a criminal report and the person will probably be fined," Rahikainen recalled.

Fish traps create hazards for pups

Rahikainen said that he believes that locals and cottage owners know where they are allowed to use nets for fishing and where they are not. On the other hand, foreigners may not have gotten the message about a ban on net fishing.

"It seems that the last few cases involved nearby Russian cottage owners who have unwittingly laid nets in the water. They were marked with flags. We left a Russian-language advisory about the net fishing ban at the cottage," he explained.

Last year, the government expanded the Saimaa Ringed Seal reserve. Wildlife monitors have encountered an unusually high number of fish traps with wide openings that may be hazardous for young seal pups in the expanded preserve.

"We fixed the fish traps with cable ties and advised the cottage dwellers to repair their traps themselves so that they will be more seal-friendly," Rahikainen added.

The ban on net fishing in the Saimaa region of southeast Finland began in mid-April and will continue to the end of June. People who own cottages in the region are advised to visit the Metsähallitus website to check and see if they are in the seal’s protected zone.

"Nowadays it’s quite easy to identify the area since it has been integrated as new areas have been added."