Prosecutor seeks suspended sentence for fisherman in South Karelia over environmental violations
A prosecutor is seeking a suspended prison sentence for a professional fisherman operating in Saimaa for environmental damage and health offenses. According to the indictment, the fisherman transported and spread fish and fish processing waste, as well as wastewater sludge generated from residential and fish processing facilities, on his own field in South Karelia between 2020 and 2022. The prosecutor alleges that the fisherman did not have permission to transport the waste or sludge.
The fisherman also disposed of fish waste or sludge containing fish waste in violation of EU by-product regulations and waste laws. These fish wastes and sludges contained harmful cleaning chemicals, nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, as well as intestinal bacteria and viruses. Spreading them on the field posed a risk of soil contamination and degraded water quality in a nearby bay. The area’s groundwater was also deemed at risk by the prosecutor.
Furthermore, the fisherman was only authorized to fish and deliver untreated fish to another entity. Despite this, he processed fish and sold both the fish and roe collected from them. The processing and roe collection occurred between 2019 and 2023 in facilities that lacked approval from the food safety authority. Inspections revealed several deficiencies in the fish processing facilities, including dirty areas and equipment intended for handling and packaging roe, putting consumers at risk of foodborne listeria due to contamination from unclean surfaces and tools.
The food safety authority has suspended the fish processing activities. In a related case, the South Karelia District Court addressed charges against another fisherman, who is accused of providing caught fish to the first defendant despite knowing the processing facilities had deficiencies. The prosecutor is seeking fines for him as well and demands that both fishermen forfeit earnings from fish sales, totaling approximately 200,000 euros, to the state.