Finnish lake fisheries and conservation of biodiversity: coexistence or conflict?

Abstract

The conservation of biodiversity in aquatic habitats has become an increasingly important challenge in the management of water resources. In addition to the complexity of the lake fishery and the management structure, the popularity of gill net fishing, in particular, has brought problems when re‐establishing populations of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), collecting genetically sustainable numbers of spawners of the land‐locked salmon, Salmo salar m. sebago (Girard), and increasing the population of the Saimaa ringed seal, Phoca hispida saimensis (Nordq.) to a sustainable level in the Vuoksi watercourse, south‐east Finland. The attitudes towards protection among the users and other interested parties vary. In order to enhance the coexistence of the lake fishery and endangered species over large water areas, improved institutional linkages are needed among the local, regional and governmental levels of the fragmented decision‐making regime. Environmental interests should also be integrated into the communication structure.

Reconciling traditional inland fisheries management and sustainability in industrialized countries, with emphasis on Europe

“…2001; for details). In these countries, the sole surviving (mostly part‐time, Salmi et al . 2000; Rasmussen and Geertz‐Hansen 2001; Arlinghaus et al .…”

“…Finland, Norway), recreational fishing is practised with gears which are predominately designed for commercial purposes (e.g. gill nets, traps) (Aas and Skurdal 1996; Salmi et al . 2000).…”

“…1999; Hickley and Aprahamian 2000). In some countries, institutions at the intermediate decision‐making level have been created, such as fisheries regions in Finland (Sipponen 1998, 1999; Salmi et al . 2000; Salmi and Muje 2001).…”

Sport fishing in Cachoeira de Emas in Mogi-Guaçu River, State of São Paulo, Brazil

“…In the Berlin area, fishers just use poles and lines (Grosch et al, 2000). In Finland the situation is different as sport fishers are allowed to use passive gear as nets (Lappalainen and Pönni, 2000) and 45% of the fishers use gillnets (Salmi et al, 2000).…”

Local owner-based management of Finnish lake fisheries: social dimensions and power relations

“…Many locals criticized the contents and scope of the proposal and could not comprehend the need for intervention by the central authorities. This was partly because local voluntary agreements on restrictions had already been made between the statutory ®shery associations and the authorities responsible for ringed seal conservation in the area (Salmi, Auvinen, Sipponen & Jurvelius 2000).…”