Catena enables important water conservation initiatives along the Baltic Sea coastline

With the ‘Fyra åtgärder för mer Östersjöfisk’ (Four measures for more Baltic Sea fish) project, our goal is to improve stocks of pike, perch and trout along the Baltic Sea coast, while promoting a healthier coastal environment with a rich biodiversity and pleasant outdoor environments. The project focuses on the Penningbyån and Bergshamra rivers, and the Koholma and Sänsjö wetlands in Norrtälje municipality, and is run by Sportfiskarna – the Swedish Anglers’ Association.

Collaboration with other companies, interest groups and associations is a key success factor in our sustainability work. In addition to contributing to improved aquatic environments, our ambition is gather valuable knowledge about water conservation – which can be useful both in connection with our existing properties and our new builds.

Penningbyån

Work was carried out in the late summer of 2023 by Sportfiskarna, who manually returned the removed stones to the river channel. Fish can now once again pass the site and utilise the spawning areas upstream.

Bergshamraån

Work was carried out in early autumn 2023. Fish now pass the site without problems.

Sänsjö

Completed in summer 2023 and filled with water in spring 2024. Several pike have been seen by landowners following the diversion up into the wetland.

Koholma

Completed in 2023, but a rainy summer and autumn caused some difficulties with wet masses and soft ground. Sportfiskarna therefore had to supplement by raising some of the ground where the ground had become too low when the deposited earth masses dried out, and repairing some driving damage. First damming in spring 2024.

 

The picture shows Catena's Head of Sustainability, Amanda Thynell, visiting Bergshamraån.

Catena's Sustainability Manager Amanda Thynell visits Bergshamraån.
We have ambitious sustainability targets and, by supporting and collaborating with Sportfiskarna, we can learn about ways to develop our own water conservation and biodiversity projects in the most effective way. It is a great example of how collaboration in the field of sustainability enables important projects and leads to results.

- Amanda Thynell, Head of Sustainability at Catena

Pike

The current project has already been granted government aid with support from the water conservation projects ordinance (LOVA ordinance), but the government’s share of the financing may not exceed 80 percent of the total costs. With Catena’s financial support the project was able to start.

We are very pleased that Catena wants to contribute to Sportfiskarna’s efforts to help protect the Baltic coast’s fish stocks and ecology. With a strong co-financier like Catena behind us, we at Sportfiskarna can now focus fully on another project to ensure robust water conservation with our sights set on increasing the number of fish found in fresh water habitats.

Nils Ljunggren, Head of Region Mitt for Sportfiskarna