Torne River dipnet fishing could be inscribed on UNESCO’s cultural heritage list – application will be sent on Monday

The Tornio Valley Museum has coordinated the work on the application for the Torne River dipnet fishing to UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage – a joint proposal from Sweden and Finland. On Monday, March 31, the application will be sent to UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The application is signed by the Ministers of Culture of Sweden and Finland.

Sweden and Finland have selected the Torne River dipnet fishing as a joint candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Tornio Valley Museum has been working on the project since the end of 2023, and a cultural heritage coordinator was hired to lead the work.

“This has been a great responsibility for the museum, but we have borne it with joy. The museum is a natural meeting place for both tradition practitioners and authorities, such as the Finnish Heritage Agency and Isof (Institute for Language and Folklore),” says museum director Titta Kallio-Seppä.

The work on cultural heritage and the journey towards UNESCO has been going on for over ten years, ever since the practitioners of the dipnet fishing tradition decided to protect the tradition. The ProSiika association, founded in 2010, has been the driving force behind the work to make the dipnet fishing tradition visible on the national lists of both Finland and Sweden, and to take it forward as a joint candidate for UNESCO listing. ProSiika’s goal is to preserve and develop the cultural tradition of net fishing in the Torne River, to raise awareness of the living conditions of migratory fishers and of the importance of the tradition for local identity.

“Now it’s time to celebrate the journey we’ve been on and the milestone we’ve reached – completing the application documentation together with the UNESCO team, which will be sent to Paris on Monday. It has been an educational journey and a great feeling in every way,” says Julia Autio, Cultural Heritage Coordinator.

A decision on the application can be expected in December 2026.

The UNESCO application consists of four parts

• Application form in English
• Documentary film presenting the tradition
• Photographs presenting the tradition
• Letter of consent from the community of traditional practitioners and other stakeholders in support of the UNESCO application

Tonight a short documentary premieres at Folkets hus in Haparanda

An important part of the application is the documentary film produced by Brightnest Studios, with script and direction by Bo-Johan Sörensen. The premiere will be held tonight, March 27, at Folkets hus in Haparanda and the documentary’s creator Bo-Johan Sörensen and producer Christine Norberg will be present. Media are welcome to see the 15-minute film. After the film screening, the evening will continue with a so-called “håvträff”, for traditional practitioners and pre-registered premiere guests.

“The documentary will be available on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage website. “Our mission is to pass on the tradition of net fishing to the next generation,” says Jaakko Heikkilä, President of the Prosiika Association.

The UNESCO application process is part of the Torne Valley Dipnet Culture project, funded by Interreg Aurora. The documentary has also been funded by the Inkeri and Mauri Vänskä Foundation.

Contact:

Museum Director Titta Kallio-Seppä, Tornionlaakson museo – Tornedalens museum, +358505971557,
titta.kallio-seppa@tornio.fi

Cultural Heritage Coordinator Julia Autio, Tornionlaakson museo – Tornedalens museum, +358407784418, julia.autio@tornio.fi

More information:

The UNESCO group refers to a community of traditional practitioners, a total of 14 people from both sides of the border river at Kukkolankoski, Kukkolaforsen and from Matkakoski in both Finland and Sweden

UNESCO website on intangible cultural heritage: https://ich.unesco.org/en/home

Website of the UNESCO nomination process: https://www.tornio.fi/sv/kultur-och-fritid/tornedalens-museum/unesco-ansokningsprocess-2024-26/

Torne Valley Dipnet Culture project: https://www.tornio.fi/sv/kultur-och-fritid/tornedalens-museum/torne-valley-dipnet-culture-projekt/

Read more about dipnet fishing in Kukkolaforsen here: https://www.swedishlapland.com/sv/stories/kukkolaforsen/