Fisheries management fees were paid over 245,000 times between January and July 2020. The revenue accumulated by the end of July was EUR 9.5 million, as compared to almost EUR 8.9 million in the entire year 2019.

The number of fisheries management fees paid exceeded last year’s figures every month up till the end of June. In the month of March, which saw the start of the lockdown, the fees paid exceeded the total for March 2019 by over 50%. Yearly and one-day fees increased in popularity considerably during the summer. In early August, payments of fisheries management fees have continued to come in at a brisk pace. Looking at the yearly totals, the sales are ahead of the numbers sold by early August last year by about 40,000.

- I am delighted that Finnish people have found their way to fishing waters and fishing during the coronavirus pandemic. While this brings us closer to nature, the increased revenue enables and supports fisheries management, says Jukka Bisi, Director of Game and Fisheries Services at Metsähallitus.

The fisheries management fee must be paid if you are 18 to 64 years of age and are fishing using a method other than ice fishing, hook and line fishing or fishing with a simple herring rig. To pay the fisheries management fee, you can go to Metsähallitus’ online shop at www.eraluvat.fi, use the Eräluvat app, call 020 69 2424, or go to an R kiosk or one of Metsähallitus’ visitor centres.

Metsähallitus collects the fisheries management fees and passes them on to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The Ministry and the ELY Centres allocate funds for the planning and sustainable development and management of fishing waters, monitoring of fishing activity, promotion of recreational fishing, advisory services for organisations, the activities of fisheries areas and compensation to water area owners.

For more information, visit eraluvat.fi/fisheriesmanagementfee.

Further information:
Kirsi Suojoki, Senior Planning Officer, Metsähallitus, kirsi.suojoki@metsa.fi, +358 40 186 5875
 

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Metsähallitus, Wildlife Service Finland
Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres)
Natural Resources Institute Finland
Finnish Federation for Recreational Fishing
Federation of Finnish Fisheries Associations
Finland Inland Fishermen’s Association
Finnish Fishermen’s Association