Finnish fisherman and conservationists debate over Saimaa seal protection measures and fishing methods
Professional fisherman Tarmo Tolvanen operates in the core area of the Saimaa seal around Haukivesi, north of Savonlinna, Finland, where nearly a quarter of the seals live. He uses a trawler in the summer, powered by two large vessels, for four to six hours at a time. This method is environmentally intensive, using hundreds of liters of fuel daily. Trap fishing would be more ecologically friendly and cost only a tenth of trawling, but current restrictions make it economically unviable.
Tolvanen also mentions that vendace, the most common catch in Saimaa, turns away from seal-safe traps upon detecting the trap bars. An open trap can catch vendace but at times up to six seals have been seen feeding there before him.
Riikka Alakoski, a special expert on nature conservation at Metsähallitus, understands that the restrictions make the work of Saimaa fishermen more difficult. She says that grid traps are crucial for seal protection, even if the catch may be leaner.
In Puumala, the chairman of the municipal council, Matti Viialainen, believes that the Saimaa seal is already sufficiently protected. He would even be prepared to slightly reduce the boundaries of the spring sanctuary.
Saimaa seal protection has been a considerable success so far. In the 1970s there were a hundred of them, now about five hundred. The most recent population estimate in the fall by Metsähallitus was 480 seals.
Fishing restrictions have been protecting the Saimaa seal since 1982. By mid-June this year, agreements on restrictions had been made for over 3,000 square kilometers. This means that over two-thirds of Saimaa is subject to fishing restrictions.
However, seals still die. Last winter and spring, 24 dead seals were found in Saimaa, about five percent of all Saimaa seals in the world. Over half of the dead were pups born during the winter. Two adult Saimaa seals drowned in winter nets, both times in accordance with the regulations.
Alakoski from Metsähallitus reminds us that the seal population is still small and the aim is to grow the population as quickly as possible to prevent further loss of genetic diversity. The population would also be easier to maintain if there were unfortunate changes in the habitat. Last spring was difficult for the pups. Nest mortality was unusually high due to weather conditions. A total of 17 dead pups were found in nests.
Fisherman Tarmo Tolvanen feels that the seal debate is too much about blaming fishermen. He has nothing against the seal and claims that he has saved and fed more seals than the protectors combined. He is particularly annoyed by the juxtaposition of seal protection and fishing. If a fisherman dies, he says, you have to buy an obituary from Itä-Savo newspaper. If a seal dies, the news is found on the front page of the newspaper.
Viialainen from Puumala, on the other hand, would like to relax the restrictions on net fishing – according to him, both nets and seals are suitable for Saimaa. He says, “In fishing for perch, whitefish, and pike-perch, the net is an important form of fishing. It is important that both professional fishermen and subsistence fishermen can catch valuable local food.” Tolvanen also sees that a properly used net is safe for the seal as well. He says, “I have been fishing with a net for 30 years, and there hasn’t been a single seal caught.” However, last year at least nine Saimaa seals died in nets.
The Saimaa seal can live over 30 years. The protection of the Saimaa seal is guided by a plan renewed every five years. The latest update was in 2022. The government sets fishing restrictions for five years at a time. The current restrictions were set in 2021. The ban on net fishing is in effect from mid-April to the end of June. Its goal is to prevent pups from drowning in nets in particular. The most dangerous types of traps for seals are banned entirely in the fishing restriction areas. Seal nesting is taken into account in Saimaa’s water regulation. Volunteers gather auxiliary snowdrifts for seal nesting places in poor snow winters. The University of Eastern Finland is developing floating artificial nests.