Fishers have been significantly more scrupulous in paying the statutory fisheries management fee than last year in Finland. This year, people from Lapland, Kainuu and North Karelia have paid the most in fisheries management fees in proportion to the population. People from Uusimaa paid relatively the smallest amount in fisheries management fees, but the most in volume.
Finns have purchased 285,000 fisheries management fees this year, amounting to almost EUR 10 million. Last year, 267,000 fees were purchased.
The fisheries management fee is an obligatory fee for everyone aged 18–64 who practices any other type of fishing than ice fishing, fishing with a single hook and line pole or fishing with a simple herring rig. The fee is mandatory in all waters.
One in ten of all Finns aged 18–64 has paid the fisheries management fee this year.
Those aged 18–64 who have paid the fisheries management fee by region (%): Kainuu 15%, Lapland 15%, North Karelia 14%, South Savo 11%, North Ostrobothnia 11%, North Savo 11%, Central Finland 10%, South Karelia 9%, Päijät-Häme 9%, Kanta-Häme 8%, Central Ostrobothnia 8%, Kymenlaakso 8%, Pirkanmaa 8%, Satakunta 8%, South Ostrobothnia 7%, Southwest Finland 7%, Helsinki-Uusimaa 6%, Ostrobothnia 6% (source: Metsähallitus 2023).
The highest number of persons paying the fisheries management fee lives in Uusimaa. However, in terms of percentages, Uusimaa and Ostrobothnia have the lowest number of payers: 6% of all 18–64-year-olds. Their reluctancy to pay cannot be explained by the scarcity of water bodies, as Uusimaa and the coast of Ostrobothnia have large amounts of water areas compared to other regions (source: Finnish Environment Institute, syke.fi).
The fisheries management fee can be paid for a day, a week, or the entire calendar year. Metsähallitus collects the fisheries management fee and passes the whole sum on to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The Ministry then allocates the funds for the benefit of fishing waters and fishing in accordance with the Fishing Act.
Further information:
Jaakko Haapakoski, Senior Specialist, +358 40 190 8717, Metsähallitus, firstname.lastname@metsa.fi