Finnish government proposes major expansion of Eastern Gulf of Finland national park

The Finnish environment ministry has proposed expanding the Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park by 63,000 hectares, a move that would place nearly the entire state-owned marine area under protection but has drawn criticism from local fishermen concerned about restrictions on their livelihoods, Yle reports.

The expansion, which would extend protection to most of the eastern Gulf of Finland’s coastal waters, aims to safeguard a unique ecosystem where freshwater and saltwater species coexist. Currently, the national park covers only islands, leaving the surrounding marine environment vulnerable.

“Protection works—we’ve already seen the Gulf of Finland grow cleaner thanks to conservation efforts,” said Maiju Lanki, a nature conservation specialist at Finland’s state forest agency Metsähallitus. She noted that sheltered bays and improving seabed conditions make the area ecologically valuable. The EU also requires member states to strengthen marine protection measures.

Fishermen fear livelihood threats

Local fishing communities, however, have voiced strong opposition. At a public hearing in Virolahti this week, fishermen warned the plan could severely limit their operations.

“This doesn’t sound good. Locals won’t be able to fish like before, and hunting will end,” said Hannu Peltola, chair of the Huovarin Kalastajain Avustus-seura fishing association. He emphasized concerns for professional fishermen, as most of the municipality’s waters would fall under protected status.

While the final legal framework remains under preparation, the ministry’s special advisor Ilona Latsa confirmed that fishing and hunting could still be permitted but subject to new restrictions in certain zones or seasons to protect conservation values. The Nature Conservation Act would also prohibit construction, dredging, mining, wind farm development, and aquaculture in the park.

Some restrictions—such as the ban on wind farms near the Russian border—already apply, but the national park status would formalize broader protections. Recreational boating and hiking would remain allowed.

Border guard operations unaffected

The proposed park borders Russia’s territorial waters, but Finnish authorities say the expansion will not interfere with border security. The Finnish Border Guard, which maintains bases in the archipelago, will continue patrols and monitoring as usual.

“From a border control perspective, this changes nothing. We operate here just as we do elsewhere in Finland,” said Ilja Iljin, deputy commander of the Gulf of Finland Coastal Guard District. He added that while reduced fishing or hunting activity might slightly decrease patrol workload, the primary focus remains nature conservation.

The Eastern Gulf of Finland was first designated a national park in 1982, but its current island-only scope has long been seen as incomplete. The ministry’s proposal aligns with EU directives to expand marine protected areas, though final approval and specific regulations are still pending.