In mid-July, the crayfish fishing season officially started in Finland. How to go for crayfish, go fishing, pick mushrooms and berries and not get fined – tips for those traveling to Finland.
With wild berries and mushrooms everything is simple. They can be collected by anyone anywhere, even if that place belongs to a private individual. By the way, the most expensive of the wild Finnish berries is cloudberries. Not even all Finns have seen cloudberries in nature, but their image is minted on Finnish two-euro coins. Free picking of berries and mushrooms is stipulated in the Finnish law of universal access. It also allows everyone – both local residents and visitors – to freely walk through forests and mountains, ski or bike, sunbathe on beaches, swim in countless Finnish lakes, regardless of who owns this land, forest or beach. The right of universal access, according to the Finns, helps to popularize active recreation in the open air. Restrictions apply to gardens of private houses, agricultural fields, some nature reserves, land of the Ministry of Defense and a narrow part of the border area on the Finnish-Russian border – be careful here.
Permission is required for some uses of natural resources. For example, for catching crayfish (the season will last until the end of October),
hunting, making a fire. If you are fishing on a rod without a reel, spoon, or artificial bait and all the gear is within your reach, fish to your heart’s content without asking anyone. The same applies to those who are under 18 or over 65 years old – they are exempt from paying duties due to age. The fee is not charged to those who only observe the fishing process and are not involved in working with the gear. All other fishermen and all other types of fishing must pay two fees.
The first – Kalastuksenhoitomaksu – is levied for the restoration of fish resources. In 2016 it is 5 euros per day, 12 euros per week or 39 euros per year. The same amount will have to be paid as a regional fee (also called a fee for fishing with bait) – Viehekalastusmaksu – if you decide to use a rod with a spinning reel, heavy bait and a sinker. The procedure for paying duties has been simplified to the extreme: this can be done via the Internet, at gas stations, in fishing stores, tourist information points, and the R-kioski chain of stores (they are found in almost every, even the smallest, locality). The license is personal and cannot be transferred to another person. A check or payment receipt is a document authorizing fishing and is presented to the fish inspector upon request. Failure to do so will result in confiscation of the catch, gear and a fine. “Colleagues”—Finnish fishermen—can also ask to see a license. Having noticed a stranger on their lake, Finns may ask whether he is fishing here legally.
However, that’s not all. There are also restrictions on the size of fish caught. It is prescribed to release those that are too small. For example, sea trout is less than 60 cm, lake trout is less than 40 cm, pike perch is less than 37 cm. The time when which fish cannot be caught is stipulated. For example, trout, salmon and trout on river rapids, streams, sea channels – throughout the fall. Fortunately, in some fishing areas in Finland you can fish all year round. These include the rivers of Central and Southern Finland – they remain open throughout the year, so fly fishing can be done here even in winter.
Are you going on a trip? Don’t forget about insurance!
