International Sportsmen’s Fair held in Riihimäki

On the 7–9 of June Re:Fish project took part in the International Sportsmen’s Fair held in Riihimäki. The project’s goals as well as first results from dragging activities done in the Finnish side of the Bothnian Sea were presented to the visitors, and contact details from various stakeholders were collected to be able to invite them later to participate in the project’s workshops and questionnaires. Stickers with a QR code leading to the Rosgis app used for reporting lost and found fishing gear were also distributed and the use of app demonstrated at the exhibition stand. To gain even more visibility at the Fair, the project was presented once every day at the stage located in the area focused on fishing-related activities.

The project was considered interesting and important. Many people had come across abandoned fishing equipment while out in nature, highlighting the need for collecting more information on their presence in our waters. Utilising the Rosgis app for this purpose seemed promising, as it was found to be easy to use. Fair visitors also hoped that in the future a similar project could also be implemented in inland waters, as many of them had encountered fishing-related debris not only in coastal but also in the freshwater environments.

The Finnish Environment Institute acted as the exhibitor at the Fair and Keep the Archipelago Tidy visited the stand on one day. The International Sportsmen’s Fair is the biggest fair focusing on fishing, hunting and all outdoor activities in Finland. This year it attracted approximately 23 800 visitors.