The Saimaa canal which connects Finland's eastern Lake Saimaa with the Gulf of Finland reopened for seasonal traffic on Tuesday.
The canal is 43 kilometers long, with almost half of its length located in territory leased from Russia. The EU's sanctions against Russia do not, however, ban maritime traffic via the Saimaa canal.
Late opening
During the sailing season, the canal is open to ship traffic around the clock. Normally operations resume after the winter break in late March or early April, but this year the season started later than usual.
The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency reported late last week that there was still ice in some sections of the canal which could delay its use, even though the shipping season had officially started.
Quiet since start of war in Ukraine
The Saimaa Canal has been an important transport route for industries in eastern Finland, as it is the only navigable route between the sea and Finland's largest lake, Saimaa.
However, following Russia's attack on Ukraine in February 2022, traffic came to a near standstill, even though the canal is not subject to direct sanctions.
Last year, only a few ships passed through the canal between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Saimaa. In 2018, around 2,000 vessels used the canal. Over a thousand were cargo ships, the rest pleasure craft and passenger ships.
Shipowners are unwilling to route vessels through Russia while it is still involved in the war against Ukraine, while insurance companies are reluctant to issue insurance for ships passing through Russia.
There has, however, been some degree of continuing traffic by pleasure craft and cruise boats on the section of the canal located on the Finnish side of the border.
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