The aim of the National Aquaculture Strategy 2022 is to increase fish farming in Finland. In 2014, the ministries of Agriculture and Forestry and Environment identified areas where new fish farms can be established (link to the national aquaculture location management plan?). Metsähallitus manages over 2 million hectares of public waters in the sea. A large part of the areas suitable for fish farming are located in ranges under the control of Metsähallitus. The aim of the Aquaculture Innovation Program is to carry out research and development activities which can increase domestic fish farming and its value in a sustainable way. The Aquaculture Innovation Program has developed a fish farm allocation tool, FINFARMGIS. The tool is based on an ecosystem approach which considers the impact of fish farming through different ecological, social and economic criteria. The tool can be used to evaluate production sites by the set criteria or more comprehensively by the environmental permit process. FINFARMGIS is updated as spatial data and research data increases. At the moment location optimization takes the following criteria into account (in brackets criterias still under work): 1. Exclusive criteria: fairways, military areas, national parks, wrecks, cables, private and state nature reserves 2. Ecological guiding criteria: Natura SPA areas,Natura SCA areas, sea area openness, ocean current, ecological status classification, depth, underwater nature peak areas (a-chlorophyll, other fish farms load) 3. Social guiding criteria: recreational facilities (recreational areas and fishing areas) 4. Criteria that guide the economy: distance from the shore (high-efficiency production areas, estimate of sustainable production, fish disease risk) The Government's key project “Pilots of the Environmental Statement” recommends that public institutions make the necessary inquiries and obtain environmental permits for entrepreneurs,. As a result, Metsähallitus, the Natural Resources Center and the Finnish Environment Institute are launching a “Kalavaltio” project, where existing research data will be used to identify new production sites in waters owned and controlled by Metsähallitus. The FINFARMGIS tool is used to define sustainable production areas. Also more detailed studies that are required for the environmental permit will be implemented primarily in areas of interest to entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are therefore asked to contact the Natural Resources Center or Metsähallitus if the company is interested in expanding its production in the areas owned and controlled by Metsähallitus. The target areas for the project for more detailed explanations are selected 15.4.2019 based on incoming contacts. #### Additional Information Markus Kankainen ja Lauri Niskanen Luonnonvarakeskus Jani Viisanen Metsähallitus

2018