Finland has embarked on a massive ecological undertaking, releasing millions of young fish into its southern and western coastal waters, rivers, and lakes in a concerted effort to bolster dwindling fish populations.
The extensive spring stocking initiative, announced by a regional ELY Centre branch on Monday, aims to ensure the long-term sustainability of vital aquatic ecosystems.
This year’s stocking operations focused primarily on commercially and ecologically significant species, including Atlantic salmon, sea trout, lake trout, and whitefish.
The ELY Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment in Southwest Finland spearheaded the efforts, covering a wide geographical area encompassing Southwest Finland, Ostrobothnia, Satakunta, South Ostrobothnia, Uusimaa, and Southeast Finland.
The largest concentrations of released fish were in the Kymijoki and Kokemäenjoki rivers, both recognized as significant waterways in Finland.
The Kokemäenjoki River received a substantial boost with 14,000 two-year-old Atlantic salmon and 18,000 two-year-old sea trout.
In a particularly ambitious move, over six million newly hatched migratory whitefish from the Harjavalta hatchery were also introduced into the Kokemäenjoki.
Similarly, the Kymijoki River saw the release of 51,000 one- and two-year-old Atlantic salmon and 41,000 two-year-old sea trout.
An additional 1.2 million newly hatched whitefish were distributed across the Vehkajoki, Virojoki, and Kymijoki rivers, further reinforcing whitefish stocks.
The comprehensive stocking program is entirely funded by fisheries fees collected from various operators.
These fees are strategically allocated to mitigate the negative impacts on fish populations, effectively turning potential environmental damage into a source of ecological restoration.
While the ELY Centre acknowledges that the full impact of these stocking efforts will only become apparent over time and are inherently challenging to assess immediately, past whitefish stocking initiatives have demonstrated clear success.
Data indicates that a significant majority of whitefish caught in previous years originated from these releases, providing a promising precedent for the current endeavor.
Anglers are being actively encouraged to play a crucial role in the ongoing research.
The ELY Centre has urged them to report any tagged fish from their catches to the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), providing valuable data that will help scientists track the progress and effectiveness of the stocking program.
