The Nurmes, North Karelia-based Pielisen Kalajaloste Oy will soon be producing up to 30,000 cans of fish per day. The operation is driven by a love of a clean environment and fishing.
Pielisen Kalajaloste Oy is a family-owned business established in 1994, still operating out of their birthplace in Pitkäkoski, Nurmes. Markus and Raakel Tolvanen and their children run the production amidst the scenic, hilly North Karelian landscape.
Markus Tolvanen discovered his passion for fishing at an early age in those same surroundings. As a little boy, he would have trouble sleeping if he had not caught any fish during the day. At that point, he’d sometimes sneak out of his bedroom window and head to the shore to prepare for the next day’s fishing trip. His love of nature eventually led Tolvanen to become a logger in the familiar woods.
Pielisen Kalajaloste was first conceived when Tolvanen decided to swap his logging machine to a fish cleaning machine and buy his first boat. At first, he fished just for his own needs and gave away the extra fish to his fellow villagers. Gradually, the hunger began to grow, and net fishing became trawling.