Cartoons by Seppo Leinonen in the Finnish Museum of Natural History in Helsinki until 3 September 2017 – Now provided with English translations!

Are you familiar with ruff, bullhead and ninespine stickleback? There are lots of funny fishes in Finland, which many of us have never seen. The exhibition by cartoonist Seppo Leinonen in the café of the Natural History Museum presents different fish species and introduces you to the joys and griefs of fishing and fishery policies.

Fish themselves are fabulous and an important food source, but the vast number of world´s fish stocks is overfished. Nor is it easy for fishes in Finland. The wild brown trout is endangered, most of the rivers are dammed and the fish ladders are lacking. Poorly regulated gillnet fishing threatens wild fish stocks.

Nonetheless Leinonen is hopeful: “The fish stocks can recover, if they are given the chance: useless dams are torn down, fish ladders are constructed and breeding areas are restored. There are good examples from abroad.”

In the exhibition there are also cartoons of climate change. “Climate change is a huge issue, which needs to be solved fast by reducing energy use and shifting to clean, renewable energy sources”, Leinonen says.

Seppo Leinonen is known both in Finland and abroad as a cartoonist specialized in nature and environment. He draws humorous and critical cartoons of serious issues like biodiversity, climate change and environmental problems. A lifelong nature interest and tedious background studies are demonstrated in his cartoons, which contain, in addition to amusement, also information of nature and natural sciences.

The Finnish Museum of Natural History

Setting up the Fishy Exhibition at the Café of the Natural History Museum.

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