Our Saimaa Seal LIFE
The Saimaa ringed seal will keep on diving when we join forces to protect it.
The Saimaa ringed seal is one of the world’s rarest and most endangered seals. It is our responsibility to ensure that future generations will also be able to see a Saimaa ringed seal resting on rocks or diving in open water. Authorities, researchers, and hundreds of volunteers are working year in and year out to protect these seals.
We have a long-term experience of working and planning together, and the amount of the seals has increased a little in the last years. However, the species is still threatened by deaths in the fishing nets and the climate change. We need new methods for conservation, and together we will find them!
During Our Saimaa Seal LIFE project (2020–2025):
- Due to the conservation measures implemented, the Saimaa ringed seal population increased from 425 to 530 individuals.
- We developed new conservation actions and population monitoring methods to address the challenges posed by climate change.
- We examined the health status of the Saimaa ringed seal and raised awareness of the importance of protection of the species.
- We monitored fishing restrictions and provided advice and guidance to safeguard the Saimaa ringed seals.
- We also worked actively to improve the status of the Baltic ringed seal population in the Archipelago Sea.
In the project video you can get aqcuainted with our work and targets (youtube.com).
Saimaa ringed seals are usually less than 1.5 metres long and weigh less than 90 kilos. The fur of each individual seal has a unique pattern, and the seals can be identified by it like humans can be identified by their fingerprints. Saimaa ringed seals moult once a year, but the patterns in the fur remain unchanged. At moulting time in May the seals lie on rocks along the shore to dry their fur.
The seals have their own favourite spots where they lie every summer. If you find a spot where seals like to rest, do not approach or scare the animals from the shore. With luck, you might be able to monitor their life for many years.
This is what we did – the main results of the project
Research
In the photo-ID study we further developed the identification of individual seals through photographs. Based on the photos, it is possible to monitor the lives and movements of individual Saimaa ringed seals as well as their social relationships, for example, seals that spend time together on the same haul-out rocks. From repeatedly photographed seals and newly observed individuals, it is also possible to estimate the population size. During the project, this counting method was compared to the traditional population assessment method based on lair censuses, and it was found that the methods produce similar results. To obtain reliable estimates of the Saimaa ringed seal population, at least a four-year Photo ID data series is needed, and the systematic monitoring that has been started should be continued.
During the project, we relocated a total of three seals within Lake Saimaa. The purpose of these translocations was to keep the genetic diversity of the Saimaa ringed seal population as broad as possible and to prevent the isolation of different seal groups. A wider and more diverse gene pool helps Saimaa ringed seals cope better with changing environments caused, for example, by climate change or chemicals. Such translocations can influence the genetic makeup of the seal population in the long term, and future research may reveal whether they have helped increase genetic diversity.
To adapt to climate change we tested various artificial nest structures that can accommodate the seals when there is little or no snow in the winter.
Seal translocation within Saimaa to start in the coming summer (press release 8.2.2023).
Protection
During the project, we improved awareness about the protection of the Saimaa ringed seal and took measures to increase general acceptance of conservation.
Research work for the development of seal-safe fish traps continued. A seal-friendly fyke net was developed for recreational fishing.
We improved the supervising of fishing restrictions together with the owners of water areas.
During the project we also took actions to improve the situation of the Baltic ringed seal in the Archipelago Sea.
Materials
Plans, reports and other materials delivered by the project are in mainly in Finnish but you will find materials in English, too.
Funding and duration of the project
The total budget of the project was € 7.1 million, of which € 5.3 million was from the EU. The project also got funding from the Ministry of the Environment, the Regional Council of South Karelia, the Nestori Foundation, and the Raija and Ossi Tuuliainen Foundation.
The opening and closing years are 2020 and 2025.
Contact information:
The project was headed by Metsähallitus, Parks & Wildlife Finland.
Project Manager Jari Ilmonen
tel.int. +358 206 39 4718
jari.ilmonen@metsa.fi
Read more about the species conservation and the former LIFE project:
The project has received funding from the LIFE Programme of the European Union. The material reflects the views by the authors, and the European Commission or the CINEA is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
Last updated 13 April 2026