Finnish government was asked by the EU Commission to go for better protection of the waning Lake Saimaa seals. The Saimaa seal is a fresh water subspecies of the Ringed Seal, its occurrence restricted to the mythical Lake Saimaa in Eastern Finland, where they were isolated when the land rose in the wake of the receding ice sheet 9,000 years ago . There are only 260 individuals left, and the population is declining, fishing being the main threat to the species.
Official record shows that each year between 20-30 Saimaa seals perishes in fishermen’s nets, most of them inexperienced young seals caught in the spring. The Commission has sent first formal notice to Finland criticizes the Finnish government for “failing to implement adequate measures” to protect the seals.
Environment Commissioner Janez Potoènik stressed that urgent action is needed to protect this important species and to preserve another example of Europe’s rich and precious biodiversity. The Commission reminds Finland that the Saimaa Ringed Seal is listed as a priority for conservation action under the Habitats Directive, which requires the designation of special areas of conservation and strict protection.
The notice said that the current restrictions have not been enough to prevent that “numerous young and adult seals are caught and drown in these nets every year”. “The seals are also significantly disturbed, particularly during the breeding season, and breeding sites are not adequately protected.
According the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (FANC), the target is to raise seals´ number to 400 by the year 2020, which could be just enough to save the seal from the immediate threat of extinction.
