Two fishing nets found in Saimaa seal breeding area are legal due to delayed regulations

Two fishing nets have been discovered in a critical breeding area for the endangered Saimaa ringed seal in southern Finland, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports. The nets are legally placed because political parties have failed to agree on new restrictions.

WWF conservation coordinator Ismo Marttinen found the nets about three kilometres from known seal pupping sites during a diving survey on Sunday. The nets were properly marked, he confirmed, though they were located in an area normally protected during the seal’s breeding season.

A temporary ban on net fishing in the region expired on 15 April. Without a new government decree in place, net fishing has been permitted for nearly a week in areas usually closed from mid-April to late June to protect the seals.

Roni Selén, a senior official at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, stated that coalition parties are still negotiating the details of a new fishing restriction order. Authorities have urged fishermen to act responsibly in the meantime.

Joonas Häkkinen, director of the South Karelia Fisheries Centre, noted that most local fishing cooperatives have voluntarily continued restrictions despite the regulatory gap. Five years ago, a similar delay lasted until early May, yet no nets were observed in seal habitats at that time.

The Saimaa ringed seal, one of the world’s rarest seals, is highly vulnerable to drowning in fishing gear. Earlier this month, a sixth seal was found dead in nets this year alone.