07.08.2023
The establishing of the Kvarken archipelago nature conservation area
Open project database
The establishing process of the Kvarken archipelago nature conservation area has been Finland’s largest environmental conflict resolution process assisted by a neutral third party.
The work on the legislation draft has been demanding due to a decades-long history of conflict and a lack of trust between the parties. Akordi has assisted the parties in identifying and clarifying their different interests, building a common knowledge base and constructing acceptable solutions.
Since autumn 2023, we have been working with local stakeholders and representatives of the environmental administration in a multi-stage process:
- We carried out a conflict assessment.
- We facilitated discussions to create a process for the next steps.
- Based on the assessment and the discussions, we proposed a process for setting up working groups to prepare the legislation and develop a co-management model.
- We supported the work of the working groups by ensuring that all key perspectives were taken into account, anticipating and identifying conflict situations and assisting the parties in finding acceptable solutions.
The decree draft proposal for establishing the nature conservation area of the Kvarken archipelago was finalised on 25th of March, 2025, after a long conflict resolution process.
Read more:
Description of the whole process (in Finnish)
Ministry of the Environment 12.5.2025: Request for opinion and working group proposal for a government decree and related memorandum
Akordi’s news 25.3.2025: The draft decree for establishing the nature conservation area of the Kvarken archipelago was finalised after a long conflict resolution process
Ministry of the Environment’s press release 1.4.2025 (in Finnish): Työryhmä luovutti ympäristöministeriölle asetusluonnoksen Merenkurkun suojelualueen perustamiseksi
Yle 26.3.2025 (in Finnish): Merenkurkun luonnonsuojelualueen perustaminen etenee – työryhmä hyväksyi asetusluonnoksen
YLE 25.3.2025 (in Swedish): Förslag: Kvarkens naturskyddsområde ska skötas av en delegation – kan minska på myndighetsföraktet
Akordi’s news 29.11.2024: Work to resolve nature conservation disputes in Kvarken archipelago is progressing in a constructive spirit
Akordi’s news 25.4.2024: A common vision for the future of the Kvarken archipelago nature conservation dispute has emerged
Turunen, Juha-Pekka ja Strandberg-Panelius, Camilla (2023). Merenkurkun luonnonsuojelun ristiriidat ja ratkaisumahdollisuudet [Naturvården i Kvarken: meningsskiljaktigheter och möjliga lösninga]. Akordi Oy publications. (in Finnish and Swedish)
Ministry of the Environment’s press release 1.12.2023 (in Finnish): Merenkurkun erimielisyyksiin etsitään ratkaisuja
