CoExist

PROJECTS

The overall objective of the project under CBC is to maintain and preserve the freshwater reservoirs and the sea clean and to attract tourists and new inhabitants with pure and clean environment

Project objectives:

• Ensure and strengthen the Russian-Finnish cross-border cooperation in the tense geopolitical situation between Russia and EU in the field of conservation biology best practices sharing in the protection and management

• Take coordinated science based actions towards human-freshwater seal co-existence and common good of sustainable use (e.g. seal friendly fishery and tourism)

• To enhance environmental awareness among local residents, visitors and companies on both sides of the border

Project components:

• New monitoring methods: photo-identification;
• Study of feeding and seasonal movements of seals;
• Best practices to minimize conflict between fishermen and seals;
• Sustainable ecotourism;
• Environmental education.

Project partners

Finland

• University of Eastern Finland (lead partner of the project);
• Finnish Association for Nature Conservation "South Karelia";
• Lappeenranta University of Technology ;

Russia

Interregional charitable public organization "Biologists for nature conservation" (Baltic Fund for Nature)

Target area and duration of the project

The CoExist project is implemented in area of Ladoga Lake on the territory of Leningrad region (Russia) and Saimaa Lake (Finland).

With support of

• Baltic seal friends fund

Project budget

Total budget of the project is 866 823 €, with funding of 693 443 € from South-East Finland – Russia CBC Programme 2014-2020 «SOUTH-EAST FINLAND -RUSSIA CBC PROGRAMME 2014-2020».

Project news