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The Saimaa ringed seal
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Protective restrictions
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The seals are protected by restrictions on land use and fishing near their breeding grounds.
If all the seal pups born each spring were to survive, the population of Saimaa ringed seals would gradually grow. The problem is that some 10 to 20 of the pups born each year die as a result of getting stuck in fishing nets. The seals are protected by restrictions on land use and fishing near their breeding grounds. Holiday cabins or permanent homes cannot be built along the shoreline next to the seals' breeding grounds. Fishing is also restricted in certain areas through voluntary agreements with fishermen.
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Conservation biologist Jouni Koskela of the national Forest and Park Service pictured at a seal lair. The lairs are counted in the spring just before the ice melts, as soon as the seal pups are big enough to have left the location. The lairs are counted by volunteers who help with crucial conservation work in this way.
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