Commercial Fishing

State-owned waters make commercial fishing activities possible in most regions of Finland. Persons intending to fish commercially must apply for a separate commercial fishing permit from Metsähallitus.

All commercial fishing permits and leases for state-owned waters are issued for 3–5 years at a time. Applications for permits are carried out every three years in Enontekiö, Inari, and Utsjoki, and every five years elsewhere in Finland. Permits can only be granted to natural persons or legal entities registered in the commercial fisherman's register of the ELY Centre.

Application periods and other current matters are announced on this page, as well as on the news board of the Eräluvat.fi service, the Metsa.fi website, and in several newspapers. Separate applications may be announced for individual water areas or a few separate areas also between the national application periods.

Where do you need a commercial fishing permit?

Within the Finnish economic region and in the Finnish public waters in the Baltic Sea simply paying the fisheries management fee grants the right to commercial fishing. Waters for the purposes of salmon or trout catching are an exception, as they are leased for maximum five years at a time for commercial fishers with an operator-specific salmon quota. The fisheries management fee is required if you are 18–69 years of age. Fishers who have reached the age of 65 or more by 31 December 2023 are an exception: they do not have to pay.

Within inland public waters a separate permit is always required for commercial fishing.

Application periods

The validity of permits granted for 2020–2024 has been extended till 31 December 2025. The next application round for 2026–2030 will take place in 2025. The permit application process will utilize a new permit application system. A public announcement will be made about the permit application, and it will also be communicated on the Eräluvat.fi website.

Between the application periods you may contact the Metsähallitus personnel listed below and ask for commercial fishing permits and waters that may still be available.

Application forms and instructions

Commercial fishing permits will be applied for electronically in the future. We will update the instructions on this page before the next application period.

Principles for granting permits

Based on the decision by The Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres), commercial fishers are divided into two groups. Fishers in Group I are prioritised over commercial fishers in Group II when granting permits. Local fishers are also given priority. An applicant's locality is considered on the basis of their municipality of residence.

The applicant's other fishing opportunities may also affect the granting of a permit, e.g. the possibility to fish in the waters of a joint-ownership association. The applicant's fishing opportunities are considered as a whole when considering the application. If the applicant has previous fishing experience in the area, it is viewed favourably.

In addition to the obligations detailed in the permit terms, all permits include the obligation to make catch reports to Metsähallitus. Permits may be voided due to misuse or illegal activity, or due to changes in legislation during the permit period.

Failing to use a granted commercial fishing permit without good reason reduces the applicant's chances of being granted permits in the future. One of the goals of granting permits is to have them be used as intended.

Prices

The prices of commercial fishing permits are set by a Decree from the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The prices are listed per trap per calendar year.

Price list until 31 December 2025

Seine net: 150 €
Fyke net or fish trap (max height 1,5 m): 12 €
Large fyke net (height 1,5-5 m): 80 €
Large fyke net (height over 5 m): 170 €
Trawl net, max lenght 300 m: 250 €
Trawl net, lenght over 300 m: 500 €
Net (max length 31 m), crayfish trap, fish trap (3 traps), 10 bait hooks and longline with max 100 hooks: 5 €