Protecting nature or fishing livelihood? Collaboration and conflict in Finnish fishing gear development projects

Pekka Salmi

Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute

pekka.salmi@rktl.fi

Lately, increasing populations of grey seals have threatened the sustainability of coastal fishing livelihood in the Baltic Sea. Coastal fishermen are annoyed, because the seals eat fish from the fishing gear, break the equipment and scare fish away from the fishing grounds. The Finnish fishermen, like their colleagues in Sweden, call for increased hunting of seals and compensations. In addition, there have been efforts for developing types of fishing gear, which seals cannot break or use as a place for getting ‘free food’. The state authorities and fisheries research have participated in the development of seal-proof fishing gear and provided subsidies for investments in the new equipment. This development of trap nets has been linked with the protection of the ‘wild’ Baltic salmon stocks and an emphasis on scientific knowledge.

A special attention in my presentation will be given to the linkages between the state and the fishermen’s institutions in the attempts to mitigate the seal-fisherman conflict. The conflict management seems to be hindered by lack of mutual trust and differing values and forms of knowledge. Although the fisheries governance is still largely state-driven in Finland, the commercial fishermen’s organizations have strengthened their role in the development projects. The material of my presentation comprises of personal interviews made with fishermen, their representatives and researchers in connection with the problems between fisheries and seal populations in the provinces Varsinais-Suomi and Satakunta, south-western Finland. This material is supplemented with newspaper articles and other written material.