Fishing inspector’s surveillance ends in collision at Kyrösjärvi, Ikaalinen, Finland

Last week, a surveillance day for fishing inspector Jaakko Moisio ended on an unfortunate note at Kyrösjärvi, located in Pirkanmaa, Ikaalinen. Moisio was inspecting fish trap permits with local operator Sami Nieminen when they spotted a boater approximately 200 meters away. Suddenly, the boater sped toward them and collided with their boat. Before the crash, according to Moisio, the boater had turned off the engine.

“It appeared to us that the driver was fiddling with the key before the impact,” Moisio noted. Believing the collision to be intentional, he filed a police report, which the authorities received electronically on Thursday. The report has yet to be formally registered, and details regarding the investigation remain unclear.

Fortunately, there were no personal injuries, but their boat sustained minor damage, including a bent aluminum railing and dislodged rivets. Moisio remarked how close they came to a more serious incident: “If the other boat’s engine had been turned off even slightly later and it had approached faster, the bow could have come down on top of our boat.”

The man who crashed into the inspectors’ vessel initially claimed a mechanical malfunction. However, Moisio pointed out that the engine started up without issue afterward. At the time of the collision, the man appeared irritated but subsequently ended the encounter on a more amicable note, discussing fishing and boating.

This incident is notably rare; Ismo Kolari, director of the Pirkanmaa Fisheries Center, stated he has never heard of such behavior towards fishing wardens in over 30 years of experience. Moisio indicated he had not previously encountered aggressive behavior in his role.