The Dipnetting Tradition in the Torne River

The dipnet culture of the Lower Torne River consists of centuries-old traditions of dipnet fishing for whitefish and salmon in the Kukkola, Matkakoski, Vuento and Isonärä rapids. The Kukkola rapids are the biggest fishing ground. In Finnish Kukkola and both Swedish and Finnish Matkakoski, fishing follows the ancient tradition, where the catch is distributed among all the farms or fishing rights holders. However, the different fishing grounds differ in how the distribution is organized. In Swedish Kukkola, the fishing association auctions off the dipnetting spots, including to non-holders of fishing rights, and the profit is split among the shareholders. In summer, about a hundred people fish in the Kukkola rapids. Swedish and Finnish villagers, as well as visitors and tourists, can be found dipnetting whitefish in the fishing grounds.

However, dipnet fishing is still organized according to old principles at the Matkakoski rapids. Here, the farmsteaders in the village hold the fishing rights, and on the Swedish side the fishing is organized according to regulations from 1866 and in accordance with the provisions of the Finnish–Swedish Transboundary River Agreement. Dipnet fishing for salmon is conducted in June – the exact dates are set annually by the Finnish–Swedish Transboundary River Commission. The whitefish season begins in July, and when National Rivers Day is celebrated in August, the fishing association arranges a party and serves smoked whitefish by the rapids.

Traditional fishing has long been an important source of income for the villages, and small talk about fishing provides a natural forum for social interaction. By the rapids and in the grill goahti, relatives and villagers tell stories, and people work out who is related to who.

At the traditional fish distribution, each fisher has been allowed to choose one whitefish to grill before the distribution begins. Grilling whitefish in the characteristic way, on a stick over the fire, is a very old custom at the Kukkola and Matkakoski rapids – and it’s also a fast cooking method. You have to eat the fish with your fingers, preferably right away, and not store it for very long. Other preparation methods are smoking or marinating in salt, sugar and spices (raw-spicing). In the past, drying and salting were used to prepare and store the fish. The cuisine is based on local ingredients and is influenced by the Swedish, Sámi and Finnish cultures. It consists mainly of grilled and marinated whitefish, but also includes whitefish roe, whitefish soup and smoked whitefish with “dopp i kopp” (boiled new potatoes, dipped in a coffee cup with butter, onion and a bit of the water from boiling the potatoes).

In addition to the grill goahti, the common buildings consist of a storage shed for dipnets and equipment, a cold-storage cabin for storing fish and an office for meetings and auctions. There are also several private fishing cabins. The site is called the Kukkolaforsen Cultural Village, and it has its own board of directors with representatives from the fishing association, the local heritage society, the municipality, a sole trader and a building antiquarian.

A significant portion of Torne River dipnet culture is the language Meänkieli. It is the foundation of the joint communication. The oldest fishing terms come from ancient expressions, which reflect the linguistic and cultural area. A living fishing tradition is also a valuable component in the conservation of the national minority language Meänkieli. For example, krenkku is a Meänkieli word for piers, patas or bridges used to reach the dipnetting spots, each of which has its own name.

Whitefish have customarily been fished in the rapids of the Torne River by individual shareholders, who together form a joint ownership organization, a shareholders’ team. The team’s job is organising the fishing, managing the fish population and contributing to the preservation of the tradition. Each rapid has its own owner teams on both sides of the river.

The patas, fixed barriers for netting salmon and whitefish, are a part of the building tradition of the river valley. The first known patas along the Torne River came into use in the 16th and early 17th century. The construction technique lives on in the piers and bridges (krenkku) that are now called patas designed for dipnet fishing.

Building patas by hand is a labor that requires special knowledge and experience of the water’s currents and behavior. The technique developed on nature’s terms and reflects the old way of life of peoples who lived in harmony with nature. These days, modern ropes complement the natural materials used for the various complex parts, each of which has a specific function. The annually recurring work is carried out by fishers and other villagers. People of all ages can participate in the voluntary work.

The dipnet is a very old fishing tool, which has barely changed from its original form. Manufacturing of dipnets is still a hand craft, and the maker needs to have good knowledge of how different materials behave in water. In the past, only natural materials were used, but today the net is made of nylon twine and wire thread, depending on the type of fish. Now, dipnet-making courses are arranged.

Historically, dipnets have also been used in other rivers, but the dipnet culture has been preserved unbroken all the way to today in the Torne River. In dipnet fishing, the net is guided across the riverbed in the direction of the current. It is done in the current, in pits or near rocks where the fish stop to rest on their migration up from the ocean to their breeding ground. So it’s important that the person operating the net is well familiar with the movements of the water and the formations on the bottom.

The farms in the villages are responsible for the continuation of dipnet fishing through their association. A large part of the fishers still come from the farms that hold the fishing rights, and this is how the knowledge is naturally passed down from older generations to younger ones. But the ability of outsiders to participate is another way of ensuring the tradition is passed along – new people who are interested in passing along the tradition and the knowledge between local and new practitioners. Beginners mostly practice early in the season, before the summer, or join a group that shares a dipnetting spot.

Most dipnet fishers are from the rapids villages, but aficionados from the outside have discovered the fishing tradition and want to continue to maintain that heritage. Interest seems to grow with age – many start dipnetting in their 30s or 40s. People often fish in teams consisting of experienced fishers and beginners. While helping out, the newcomers learn the tradition from the elders. Sometimes courses have been held in dipnet-making and pata techniques, but this is not a regular activity.

Whitefish and salmon parties, customs related to the fishing community, are an old tradition in Sweden and Finland. At Kukkolaforsen, the whitefish festival is arranged in the traditional way, to celebrate the migration of the whitefish up the river, and the parties are still a part of a living cultural tradition. People come to the parties to eat whitefish, especially grilled. The distribution of whitefish in Finnish Kukkola and in Swedish Matkakoski, which is done every night during the season, continues to be a special, well-known ritual that brings curious visitors to the rapids. In mid-July, a cultural week is arranged in Finnish Kukkola, which focuses on fishing and the cultural village.

The villages have teams of shareholders, village joint ownership organizations and village associations, which collaborate on a variety of events. Various local heritage societies also contribute to the conservation of the traditional fishing method, helping out at whitefish parties and spreading awareness of the practice.

An extensive structural change in the business community has led to a mass exodus from the river valley. Farming was once the primary industry, with fishing as a secondary source of income. The changes have led to fishing being more of a hobby these days.

Increased tourism and above all nature tourism create opportunities for the preservation of the tradition and more job opportunities for young people. Nature tourism, based on traditions, sustainable development and locally produced food, is a growing trend these days. Whitefish is becoming increasingly popular for food. The local ingredients are refined in global recipes into culinary experiences.

Several projects have been conducted to maintain and develop the local traditions. The village by the rapids in 2003–2006, IsoSiika (Big Whitefish) in 2013 (a joint project with Landsbygdens Bildningsförbund, the rural education association, on the Finnish side), various initiatives in the cultural village for the preservation of the authentic environment associated with dipnet fishing, and Torne Valley Summer Whitefish in 2016–2018. Torne Valley Dipnet Culture – TVDC, is another project, running from 2024–2027. It is being conducted jointly by the Museum of Torne Valley, the towns of Tornio and Haparanda, ProSiika Ry, Novia University of Applied Sciences and Norrbottens Museum.

These projects include working with schools; mapping and collecting old photos, films and audio recordings; and producing exhibitions, literature and other publications related to the dipnet culture. Events are arranged and transborder collaborations and knowledge dissemination about the dipnet tradition are encouraged. A key emphasis is on integrating the dipnet traditions into sustainable development according to Agenda 2030. The projects have contributed to greater collaboration between fishing teams and other players. The Torne Valley Summer Whitefish project was conducted by a Swedish–Finnish research collaboration to document the mating grounds and reproduction of the whitefish.

The Torne Valley Fishing Museum has produced a new core exhibition, Fish and People in the Torne Valley, with photo books, informational books and a documentary film about the Kukkola rapids. Books on culinary traditions have been published on both sides of the border.

Literature

Granlund, J. (1940) “Sikfesten i Kukkola: en fiskefest med forntida anor” (The whitefish party in Kukkola: a fish festival with ancient roots). Fataburen. Nordiska museets och Skansens årsbok. (Nordiska Museet's and Skansen’s statistical yearbook).

Högström Berntsson, J. (2023) “Sikfiske och matarv vid Kukkolaforsen” (Whitefish fishing and culinary heritage at the Kukkola rapids). In Högström Berntsson, J. & Schedin, P. (ed.) Matarvets trådar. Från antik fisksås till svenskt fredagsmys (Threads of culinary heritage. From ancient fish sauce to Swedish Friday fun night). Carlssons, pp. 88–102.

Lundholm, K. (1993) “Fisket vid kust, i älv och sjö” (Fishing on the coast, in rivers and lakes). In Hederyd, O., Alamäki, Y. & Kenttä, M. (ed.) Tornedalens historia (The History of the Torne Valley), Tornedalskommunernas historiebokskommitté.

Lundholm, K. (1988) "Fram till Kukkola gick floden": bosättning, fisk och fiske vid Torne älv (“The river led to Kukkola”: settlements, fish and fishing on the Torne River). Norrbottens Museum.

Olls, B. (1965): “Lax- och sikfiske vid Kukkolaforsen” (Salmon and whitefish fishing at the Kukkola rapids). In: Skogsindustriarbetaren: tidning för skogsbrukets samt sågverks- och pappersindustriernas arbetare (The forestry industry worker: newspaper for forestry, sawmill and paper industry workers), 1965:25–26, pp. 42–45.

Spolander, M. & Stenros, M. (2015) Vintermat i Tornedalen (Winter food in the Torne Valley). A La Carte Books.

Stenros, M., Spolander, M. and Lundholm, K. (2011) Tornedalsmat på Margits vis (Torne Valley Cooking Margit’s Way). A La Carte Books in collaboration with Kukkolaforsen Turist & konferens

Links

Kukkola Fishing Museum. External link.

Museum of Torne Valley. External link.

Svenska Tornedalingars Riksförbund (National Association of Swedish Torne Valley Residents, in Swedish only). External link.

Summer, whitefish and Torne River. External link.

YouTube: Kukkolankoski – En by skyddad av fisk (Kukkolankoski – a village protected by fish, in Finnish with Swedish subtitles). External link.

YouTube: Liponteko – Att göra en sikhåv (Liponteko – making a whitefish dipnet, in Finnish with Swedish subtitles). External link.

YouTube: Tornedalens sommarsik (Torne Valley summer whitefish, in Finnish and Swedish). External link.

YouTube: Kukkolaforsen 18 August 2013 External link.