Ministry of Environment launches project to expand Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park to marine areas

The Ministry of the Environment will begin a law drafting process to expand the Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park to marine areas around the islands and rocky islets. The surface area of the marine areas concerned would be more than 60,000 hectares.

The Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park was established in 1982. The present national park consists of islands and islets in the outer archipelago of the Eastern Gulf of Finland, but no water areas are included. The surface area of the park is about 936 hectares, which is below the minimum surface area of 1,000 hectares for establishing a national park under the Nature Conservation Act.

In this legislative project, about 63,000 hectares of marine areas around the islands and islets would be annexed to the Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park. These marine areas are in state ownership, and they are located in the municipalities of Virolahti and Pyhtää and cities of Hamina, Kotka and Loviisa.

The areas are also included in the Nature 2000 network. Besides the expansion, the project would review the protection regulations concerning the national park, with a particular focus on fishing and hunting.

 “With this expansion, the Eastern Gulf of Finland would become genuinely a marine park – one of the most significant marine national parks we have in our network. The low salinity of the Eastern Gulf of Finland creates an exceptional combination of both freshwater and saline water species in the area. The designation as a national park will at last give the unique underwater nature the protection it needs,” Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala says.

With this expansion, the Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park would become more representative and more integrated in terms of its boundaries than it is at present. Expanding the national park to the marine areas would strengthen, in particular, the protection of underwater habitats and species in the area, nesting, resting and migration area of nationally valuable bird species and breeding area of Saimaa ringed seal. 

The project implements the Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government, according to which Finland responds to its international commitments through nature policy and aims to halt the loss of biodiversity. The project aims to increase the percentage of strictly protected areas in the surface area of Finland’s marine areas in line with the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy.

The project also implements the target of the ownership policy concerning Metsähallitus in 2024–2027 to develop the network of protected areas in marine areas. According to this, in the protection of marine areas a particular focus is on underwater areas bordering on the existing national parks. 

Law drafting schedule and public events

The act will be prepared at the Ministry of the Environment as part of its official duties. In March 2026, the Ministry will organise public consultation events in the municipalities where the park is to be located. During the spring, the Ministry will also organise other discussion events together with the relevant stakeholders. The draft proposal to be formulated based on these will be sent out for comments before summer.

The aim is to give the legislative proposal to Parliament towards the end of 2026 so that the expansion of the national park could enter into force in 2027.

The progress of legislative drafting can be followed on the project’s website (in Finnish).

All who are interested are welcome to participate in the public events. The dates, times and venues of the events are listed below. Please register to the events at (link to registration). Tea and coffee will be served. 

Public events

Virolahti
Monday 16 March at 17–19
Navettaravintola Juuri, Säkäjärventie 204, FI-49900 Virolahti
Registration

Hamina
Tuesday 17 March at 17–19
Meyer Hamina, Pikkuympyräkatu 5, FI-49400 Hamina
Registration

Loviisa 
Monday 23 March at 17–19
Loviisan Kappeli, Kuningattarenkatu 19, FI-07900 Loviisa
Registration

Pyhtää
Wednesday 25 March at 17–19
Aeronautica Arena, Kotitie 10, FI-49270 Pyhtää
Registration

Kotka
Thursday 26 March at 17–19
Kotka Main Library, Auditorium, Kirkkokatu 24, FI-48100 Kotka
Registration

Inquiries

Ilona Latsa
Senior Specialist
tel. +358 295 250 388
[email protected]

Nunu Pesu
Senior Ministerial Adviser
tel. +358 295 250,215
[email protected]