Enonkoski research infrastructure

The Enonkoski research infrastructure is located on the shores of Lake Saimaa in South Savo, in the habitat of endangered salmon fish and the Saimaa ringed seal. The main area of operation is the Vuoksi river basin and a few smaller river basins that flow eastwards across the national border. It covers almost 11 000 km², more than a third of Finland's inland waters.

Enonkoski infrastructure has an important role in the conservation of endangered stocks of valuable fish: landlocked salmon (Vuoksi river basin), brown trout (Vuoksi river basin, Heinävesi route) and Saimaa arctic char (Kuolimo).

Aquaculture maintains the genetic diversity of valuable fish species in the area and produces fish eggs for further rearing. The research examines methods to ensure the conservation of these valuable fish in the wild.

The location of the Enonkoski site in the middle of the country's most important inland commercial fishing area is also advantageous for monitoring inland fish stocks. There are plenty of fish stock sites to monitor in the surrounding area related to water management. Here, research is being carried out in key areas of the Saimaa ringed seal's habitat to reconcile fishing and seal conservation, among other things.

Enonkoski research infrastructure is a part of the EU-funded Research Infrastructure project 'AquaServ - Research services for sustainable aquaculture, fisheries and blue economy', through which Luke's infrastructure is available for international researchers and developers.

• The hatchery (including the isolation unit) contains troughs, trays, tubs, and funnels suitable for egg incubation and fry hatching, as well as the necessary tools for the care of eggs and fry (e.g., a live egg sorting machine).
• A separate research facility contains 72 plastic tanks of 0.5 m² each, suitable for family-based rearing of fry, each equipped with its own set of tools (e.g., belt feeders).
• The fry production hall includes approximately 100 plastic tanks ranging from 2.1 to 12.7 m², suitable for fry rearing. The hall is equipped with the necessary tools for fish handling (nets, tubs, scales, tagging equipment) as well as tank-specific maintenance tools for fish and tanks (siphons, brushes). Feeding can be adjusted per tank using an automatic feeding system.
• The broodstock hall and outdoor tank area are suitable for rearing fish aged two years and older. The covered broodstock hall contains 21 fiberglass-walled/concrete-bottomed tanks ranging from 28 to 63 m². The outdoor tank area includes 44 uncovered concrete tanks ranging from 63 to 113 m² used for fish rearing. Both the broodstock hall and the outdoor area are equipped with an automatic feeding system and tools suitable for handling and transferring large fish (tractor, ATV, hook scale, tagging equipment, tank-specific nets and brushes).
• Two separate lake areas are available for water intake.
• Maximum flow rate in the flow-through system is 700 L/s (permit allows 670–870 L/s).
• The fish stock (including broodstock groups) represents several age groups and species: landlocked salmon (Vuoksi watershed), brown trout (Heinävesi route, Vuoksi watershed), and Arctic char (from Lake Kuolimo).
• The facility is classified as a P0-level unit by the Finnish Food Authority’s fish health service.

• The extremely endangered and endangered fish populations of Saimaa
• Work related to water management