At the turn of May-June, 130,000 freshly hatched juveniles of sea trout and 150,000 juveniles of sea trout, 20,000 pre-summer juveniles of sea salmon, 41,000 1-year-old juveniles of sea salmon and 5,000 1-year-old juveniles of sea trout will be planted in the river Iijoki and its tributaries. Restocking supports the creation of salmonid stocks stigmatised in the river.
‘The sea trout are planted in the River Loukusanjoki, the River Pärjänjoki and the River Livojoki, the salmon in the main mouth of the River Iijoki and the River Livojoki. The purpose of restocking is to ensure that the fish reach the bottom and find a place of refuge.’, says the batch planner Eero Hartikainen About the forest management.
The young were acquired from the Natural Resources Institute Finland, Kalankasvatus Vääräniemi Oy and Voimalohi Oy, and they are planted by Metsähallitus and Voimalohi Oy. The results of the plantings are monitored by means of electro-experimental fishing in July-August. Electrical experimental fishing is carried out by Metsähallitus
“The availability of freshly hatched Atlantic salmon was below normal this year. We buy 1-year-old salmon chicks to compensate for the low number of wk chicks. Restocking rates for small juveniles are set to increase significantly as the years progress in order to rebuild salmonid stocks more efficiently”, notes the project manager of the Iijoki migratory fish project 2020-2022 Mirko Laakkonen Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia.
The restocking of small juveniles is part of the Iijoki migratory fish project 2020-2022. Other measures of the project include the construction of a downward migration path for smolts to Haapakoski, as well as over-transfers and monitoring of salmonids. The project is implemented by PVO-Vesivoima Oy, the Lapland ELY Centre, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ii, Oulu, Pudasjärvi, Taivalkoski, Kuusamo, the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, the Iijoki fishing area, Metsähallitus, the North Ostrobothnia ELY Centre and the Natural Resources Institute Finland. The project is coordinated by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. The total budget of the project is approximately EUR 2.2 million.
The project has received funding from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's NOUSU programme, which improves the living conditions of migratory fish and aims to restore the natural reproduction of migratory fish stocks in Finland's current waters.
More information on the Iijoki migratory fish project 2020-2022: Mirko Laakkonen, Project Manager, Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, tel. +358 40 685 4036, mirko.laakkonen(at)pohjois-pohjanmaa.fi
