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Bothnian Bay 4015

Bothnian Bay

Trap fishing
Calendar year
Net, Fyke, Fish trap, Longline, Bait hook
Perch, Burbot, Vendace, Whitefish, Sea salmon, Herring, Cyprinids, Burbot

Purchasing a permit

The price of one trap permit is 8 euros. From 1 January 2024 the price is 12 euros.

Trap permits are specific to the fishing or boating party, and they are valid for a calendar year. One must carry the permit and proof of payment when fishing.

Since 2020, trap permit tags are no longer in use. After purchasing a permit, fishers must simply attach their name and phone number to fishing traps, i.e. fishing nets.

Permit terms

Permit terms for the area

Calendar year

Trap permits do not permit the holder to engage in commercial fishing. Commercial fishing permits are issued separately. More information about commercial fishing permits is provided by game and fisheries planner Eero Hartikainen. His phone number is 040 8219679 and email address eero.hartikainen@metsa.fi.

Trap restrictions

When net fishing, a maximum of 240 metres of net may be used by each fishing or boat party, unless the fishing or boat party is engaged in commercial fishing. This is mandated in section 49 of the Fishing Act.

When net fishing for salmon in the sea, the mesh size must be at least 80 mm. This is mandated in section 12 of the Fishing Decree.

If whitefish are caught from the sea north of latitude 64º00 N (this latitude passes by Hakunninniemi in Lohtaja), the knot spacing of the net must be at least 27 millimeters and 30 millimeters or at least 45 millimeters. In the sea area between latitudes 64º00 N and 63º30 N (Stora Kallberget) at least 30 millimeters and at most 35 millimeters or at least 45 millimeters. Whitefish netting is fishing where at least half of the weight of the catch is whitefish. The mesh size of nets is mandated in section 12 of the Fishing Decree.

Fishing for brown trout with a surface net is prohibited in the sea.

Fishers must check trap restrictions, protected areas and other possible instructions for each water area in the water area directory. The water area directory is included with the site map as a PDF file.

Catch sizes and protection periods

The following catch sizes and protection periods for fish species are in effect for this permit area:

Fish species Catch size Protection period
Salmon At least 60 cm, at least 50 cm in the Bay of Bothnia north of the 63º30 N circle of latitude No protection period in this permit area
Trout with adipose fin All sizes of fish must be released Protected throughout the year in all sea areas
Trout without adipose fin At least 50 cm No protection period in this permit area
Pike-perch At least 42 cm No protection period
Grayling All sizes of fish must be released Protected throughout the year in the Baltic Sea

Fishers must observe the catch sizes and protection periods mandated in the Fishing Decree for other fish species.

Catch quotas

Fishers must observe the catch quotas mandated in the Fishing Decree.

Permitted traps

A trap permit entitles the holder to use one of the following traps:

  • one net, whose length is no more than 31 metres
  • one fyke net or fish trap, whose length is less than 1.5 metres
  • 3 traps
  • one long line, with no more than 100 hooks
  • 10 baited lines
  • one gig (for gigging), harpoon or fishing bow.

In other words, one trap permit entitles the holder to use only one type of trap at a time. Consequently, one trap permit does not allow, for example, the holding of a net and a trap at the same time – one requires two trap permits for this purpose.

Marking traps

Standing traps must be marked in accordance with the Fishing Decree (1360/2015). The fisherman's name and telephone number must also be entered on traps.

Decree 1360/2015 can be found on the Finlex website (finlex.fi) in Finnish and Swedish.

This Finnish brochure contains photographs and information on marking traps (PDF, 1Mb).

General permit conditions

The permit will not be valid until it has been paid. One must carry the permit and proof of payment when fishing and show them to a supervisor authorised by Metsähallitus, if the supervisor so requests.

The permit holder is the person whose name appears on the permit. The holder is responsible for any fishing done under the permit. One is obligated to establish the legality of the fishing activity.

Trap permits are specific to the fishing or boating party, and they are valid for a calendar year.

The permit entitles the holder to fish in the Metsähallitus waters specified on the water area directory of the permit area and/or on the permit area map. The water area directory is included with the map as a PDF file.

Metsähallitus may revoke the permit if the permit terms are violated.

In addition to the Metsähallitus permit fee, persons aged 18–69 must also pay the state fisheries management fee. Fishers who have reached the age of 65 or more by 31 December 2023 are an exception: they do not have to pay the fee.