The Saimaa ringed seal are one of the rarest fresh-water seals in the world. The European Union (EU) recently granted Finland nearly $6.28 million to protect the endangered species.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there are around 410 Saimaa ringed seals left in Lake Saimaa. During the early 20th century, there may have been nearly 1,000 of the rare seals but dropped down to nearly 100 by the 1980s due to hunting.

The EU has granted Finland more than five million euros to protect the highly endangered Saimaa ringed seals. Thanks to the development of man-made banks and protection laws, the species are slowly recovering.

Other threats to the species include environmental toxins such as mercury levels in the lake as well as fluctuating water levels due to climate change. Fishing nets, such as nylon gill nets in the 1960s, have also brought great harm to the species, especially to pups.

Protecting Current Saimaa Ringed Seal Populations

Currently, factors such as human disturbances during the breeding season can decrease the survivability of pups. Moreover, the rapid increase of global temperatures melting Arctic glaciers can also result in decreased snowfall.

The new funding will go towards the development of artificial dens so that seals can breed during winters with less or no snowfall. Snowy winters are essential to the survival of pups, according to Metsähallitus.

For years, Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland have been keeping track of the small seal population and have recruited volunteers for conservation efforts. Last year, a new record was set when 88 pups were born.

The funding is also part of the overall budget for the Our Saimaa Seal LIFE project to protect and improve the lives of the seals. "Although the Saimaa ringed seal has been under protection for a long time, further action is needed," said Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen.

The small population remains vulnerable especially due to the warmer winters resulting in many seal pup deaths. "It is important to develop new ways to protect the seal population," said Mikkonen.

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Numerous Aspects Our Saimaa Seal LIFE Project

Other aspects of the project include seal-safe fish traps and monitoring fishing activity since the Saimaa seals eat fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. At the same time, researchers will be studying the genome of the species so that the Saimaa species can become diversified.

New population monitoring methods will also be developed in case the ice becomes too thin for researchers to examine breeding and nesting sites. This year's winter was very mild, said conservation biologist Jouni Koskela. As a result, researchers could not properly monitor the current population since breeding sites were not located and artificial snowdrifts melted too early. The team estimates that the seal population increased by at least 15 from last year's count.

The project will last until 2025 and receive support from the Ministry of the Environment and several foundations. The Saimaa ringed seals are also supported by several universities and conservation groups all across Finland.

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