A ban on fishing with nets took effect on Saturday in lake areas in eastern Finland that are home to the highly endangered Saimaa ringed seals.
Net fishing is prohibited until the end of June. Drowning in nets is the main cause of death for Saimaa seal pups. Year-round restrictions and the net fishing ban, as well as the expansion of the restricted area, have helped the species’ tiny population to grow by more than five percent annually in recent years.
Last autumn, the state forest agency Metsähallitus estimated the Saimaa ringed seal population at 430–440 individuals, up by about 10 since the previous year. The Saimaa ringed seal, which is only found in southeast Finland, is one of the world’s rarest seal species, and "remains on the verge of extinction" according to the WWF.
The ban covers most of the extensive Saimaa lake district between the Russian border and the towns of Lappeenranta, Mikkeli and Joensuu.
More detailed about fishing restriction areas can be found on the kalastusrajoitus.fi service (but only in Finnish and Swedish).