Saimaannorppa deaths in fishing gear more than quintuple in five years

Deaths of the endangered Saimaa ringed seal in fishing gear have more than quintupled over the past five years, according to Metsähallitus, Finland’s state forest administration.

This year alone, ten Saimaa ringed seals have been found dead in fishing gear, up from just two in 2021. The increase is not explained by population growth; when adjusted for population size, the rise remains stark. In 2021, 0.5 per cent of the seal population died in fishing gear, compared with 2.1 per cent last year.

“The trend was previously positive, but over the past five years it has reversed,” said Riikka Alakoski, a specialist at Metsähallitus. She noted that not all seal deaths in fishing gear are reported, so the true toll is likely higher.

Three of the seals recovered this year were found in illegal fishing gear that violated existing restrictions. Alakoski suggested that either more hazardous gear is being used or that bystanders are now more likely to report such incidents.

The primary response remains public awareness campaigns about fishing restrictions and seal-safe gear. “I’d like to believe most people want to do the right thing, but they may not be aware of the rules or which gear is safe for seals,” Alakoski said.

She stressed that fishing-related mortality is an additional human-caused threat increasing the extinction risk for the species. If current measures fail to reduce deaths, authorities may need to reassess restrictions and enforcement.

Police in Eastern Finland have filed reports for every case involving illegal gear that killed a seal over the past five years, but no cases have advanced to prosecution. Identifying responsible parties is difficult because illegal gear often lacks owner information.