Finland Times

 

File Photo – Lehtikuva.

Professional fishermen caught six million kilograms of fish in inland waters in 2014, said the Natural Resources Institute of Finland-Luke in a release.

 

The catch is a million kilograms higher than in the previous statistical year of 2012 and the total value of the catch increased by just over euro one million. According to Luke, vendance was the most fished species.

 

“The vendace is the most important fish in inland waters, in terms of both volume and value. Only the Baltic herring has a significantly higher value. The vendace catch has fluctuated between 2.4 and 2.8 million kilos over the last 15 years,” said Leena Forsman, a researcher at Luke in the release.

 

In 2014, the volume of vendace caught by professional fishermen in inland waters totaling 2.8 million kilograms grew slightly than the previous year. However, the value of this catch which amounted to euro 6.2 million was marginally less than in the previous statistical year, 2012. This was due to a lower average producer price. Roe accounted for about euro half a million of the value of the vendace catch.

 

Both the volume and value of the second most important fish, the pikeperch rose from the previous year.

 

A little over a quarter of the catch by professional fishermen in inland waters consisted of fish caught during the management of fish stocks in lakes. Cyprinidae and other small or low-value fish accounted for the majority of this catch.

 

Forsman said there were about 400 registered professional fishers working in the country's inland waters in 2014.The most professional fishermen were found in Lapland, Kainuu and Southern Savonia.