A male pup of the highly-endangered Saimaa ringed seal species became entangled in a fishing net and drowned near the city of Savonlinna in the southeast of Finland.
A fisherman informed Finland's parks and wildlife agency Metsähallitus of the death on Friday evening.
According to the agency, the pup was likely born last winter as it was one metre in length and weighed about 28 kilos.
This week's episode of the All Points North podcast hears about the efforts being made to conserve the Saimaa ringed seal. You can listen to the full podcast using the embedded player here, via Yle Areena, on Spotify or via the options found in this article.
The seal was recovered from the scene and an autopsy will be carried out by the Finnish Food Safety Authority.
The fisherman's five-metre-high net was in about 20 metres of water, and had a knot spacing of 50 mm and wire thickness of 0.17 mm. In a statement, Metsähallitus said the fisherman regretted what had happened and has decided to remove his nets from the Saimaa Lake region, at least for this autumn.
Tighter restrictions on the use of fishing nets in the Saimaa lake region had been having a positive impact on efforts to protect and replenish the population of Saimaa ringed seals, one of the world's most highly-endangered seal species.
Metsähallitus has asked the public to immediately report any sightings of dead or injured Saimaa seals by calling: 020 639 5000.
Would you like a roundup of the week's top stories in your inbox every Thursday? Then sign up to receive our weekly email!