Period: 1.8.2024 - 31.12.2026

Content: The overall objective is to keep the rural communities in Torne Valley vital and utilize the natural resources sustainably. Project is necessary to protect, promote and demonstrate the cross-border tradition of dipnet communities in a way that benefits the tourism and business in Torne Valley and increases the attractiveness of northern Finland and Sweden in the spirit of Unesco-convention.

1. The specific goal and the concrete need of the project is to preserve the hundreds of years old cultural heritage for coming generations. Dipnetting is a rare cultural specialty that creates and strengthens not only local identity but more broadly "who we are" as Finns and Swedes.

2. Sustainability in the tourism development related to the living cultural heritage can contribute to the preservation of practices and bring economic benefits to the region and dipnet fishing communities.

3. Enhancing the role of the culture and sustainable tourism in economic development, social inclusion and social innovations. The attractiveness of Torne Valley increases and the communities are more included and strong. This gives opportunities to wider product development possibilities and creating new unique market points.

The project is continuation of the long-term safeguarding work of the unique Torne River's dipnet fishing culture. The tradition practitioners have initiated the project widely as a key group. The local museums, Cross-border Development Office and several partners are performing the project work. This project will highlight and complete, with new digital tools and activities, the work done during the previous milestones in preserving the tradition.

The post of the cultural heritage coordinator will be permanent after the Unesco listing. The network created in the project will become established, so in the future the work will not require so many resources but will be handled as part of the actions of the Museum of Torne Valley.

Focus area: Konst kultur och entreprenörskap

Campus: Jakobstad

Financers: Interreg Aurora

Project owner: City of Tornio

Project manager: Tobias Björkskog

Partners: City of Tornio, Haparanda kommun, ProSiika ry, Region Norrbotten (Norrbottens museum)