Northern Finland agency mandates fish passages at hydropower plants along Kemijoki River

The Northern Finland Regional State Administrative Agency has announced new fishing obligations that are partly welcomed by the river management company, Kemijoki Oy. The agency decided on Monday that hydropower companies are required to investigate and design fish passages at several hydropower plants on the Kemijoki River. Specifically, Kemijoki Oy must develop structures for fish to access spawning areas at the Taivalkoski, Ossauskoski, Petäjäskoski, and Valajaskoski plants, as well as potentially at the Isohaara facility.

CEO Tuomas Timonen expressed satisfaction with the agency’s decision, noting that it aligns with the company’s strategy for migratory fish restoration. “We view this positively and believe it supports our vision for reviving migratory fish populations in the Kemijoki watershed,” he said.

However, Timonen cautioned that the nearly thousand-page document must be thoroughly reviewed to understand all its details. He raised concerns about the significant increase in stocking obligations, stressing the need to evaluate the rationale behind these requirements, particularly for salmon and sea trout.

The agency rejected some proposals from the Lapland ELY Centre, which Kemijoki Oy had previously deemed excessive. Specifically, the requests regarding fish passages and downstream routes for several additional plants were dismissed, and no transfers above those plants will take place.

Timonen noted that if the ELY Centre’s original application had been approved, it could have resulted in costs up to one billion euros for Kemijoki Oy. Instead, he anticipates investment costs will range from tens to a couple of hundred million euros.

Plans and studies must be submitted to the permitting authority within a year for Taivalkoski and Isohaara, and within two years for Ossauskoski, Petäjäskoski, and Valajaskoski. Timonen affirmed that the timeline is realistic and emphasized the importance of making fish passages operational, beginning with Isohaara. However, he reminded that this decision does not mandate the immediate construction of fish passages.