The ongoing Interreg Aurora funded project Torne Valley Dipnet Culture plays an important role in preserving, promoting, and developing the dipnet fishing culture in the Torne Valley. The transfer of knowledge and skills related to the dipnet tradition from one generation to the next is essential for the vitality of this living heritage. Within the project Torne Valley Dipnet Culture, they are developing new ways of sharing this knowledge together with dipnetting communities – and some of these approaches will already be tested this summer.
Communal work day in Matkakoski, Finland 6.6.2026. Photo: Museum of Torne Valley
As a result of this work, initiatives currently underway include a rapid specific Handbook for Dipnet Tradition Practitioners as well as summer events aimed at attracting new dipnet fishers to engage with the tradition. At Kukkolankoski in Finland, the Dipnet Passport concept will also be piloted for shareholders during the coming summer.
Summer events
White fish grilled on a spit from Kukkolaforsen will be served on Friday, 26 June from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the event Syöhään ja tanssitaan yhessä at Victoria Square. The event is part of the By the Same Sea programme, celebrating the history, traditions, and natural experiences of the waterways in the Kemi, Tornio, and Haparanda region. Read more
Border River Day on 15 August at Kukkolaforsen in Sweden. A free, family-friendly event open to all, featuring programme centered on the dipnet tradition and its valuable cultural environment. The event offers a rare opportunity to try dipnet fishing free of charge! Organised by the Kukkolaforsen cooperative and the Torne Valley Dipnet Culture project. Register here
Kukkolan osakaskunta, together with its partners, is organising the Lippo 2026 event on 15 August from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The aim is to introduce children and young people to the dipnet tradition in a variety of ways and to spend time together by the rapids. The event is intended for children and young people from Kukkolan osakaskunta and the village of Kukkola, as well as their families. Register here
Photographs of dipnet fishing by Sirpa Niskala will be on display at the Finnish Museum of Hunting and Forestry from 2 June 2026 onwards. The exhibition series consists of 12 black-and-white photographs taken in summer 2025. Sirpa Niskala is a photography enthusiast from Espoo who studies nature photography at Otava Folk High School. Read more
Learn more about the Interreg Aurora project Torne Valley Dipnet Culture.
