HM The King's speech during a visit to The Torne River International Watershed Life-project
Kattilakoski, Norrbotten
(The spoken version shall take precedence)
Ministers,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for inviting me once again to Tornedalen!
A couple of months ago I was here to celebrate Sweden’s National Day. This time I will highlight the important work of TRIWA LIFE, aiming to restore the water environment in Tornedalen.
TRIWA LIFE is not only an example of innovative ecological work, but it is a tribute to the unity of Sweden and Finland. Today, we also have representatives here from Norway, which demonstrates the strength of our Nordic collaboration.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The starting point of this visit is a great choice. Located by the Swedish-Finnish border, Kattilakoski has long been a place of shared culture and business between our two countries. It is also known for its rich biodiversity and is a popular place for salmon fishing.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Torne River has served as a livelihood for generations of residents on both sides of the border.
And now, with new knowledge and new technology, we act together to restore the natural environments in wetlands and waterways with the intentions of making the Torne River closer to what it once was.
This will not just benefit salmon and other fish; it will profit all life in and around the river and its branches. And on a positive note – strong populations of fish also benefit us humans.
Another positive action for the fish is the restoring of spawning grounds. Not to mention the work to create free migration routes from the sea to the river branches, which is especially important not least for salmon.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Now that we are investing so much in restoring waterways in both Sweden and Finland, let us also review the entire lifecycle of the salmon and what more we can do to help it. This is especially relevant as we have seen how little the salmon have been migrating upstream over the past two years.
Together we can create better management from the sea into the river so that the salmon can benefit from all the improvements being made in the river system.
I would like to thank everyone involved in TRIWA LIFE. I urge you to continue working across borders with a strong commitment to protecting our shared environment.
Thank you!
