Espoo to remove boats from the shores of Pitkäjärvi – remember to check the condition and location of your boat
In the summer of 2026, the City of Espoo is removing broken and unused boats from areas it controls on the Pitkäjärvi shore. The City requests that private owners do the same on their own land. The City would also like to remind everyone that boat storage requires landowner permission. Removal of a boat must primarily be carried out by the owner.
The City of Espoo restores Pitkäjärvi annually with fisheries management, i.e. by removing carp from the lake, the population of which has grown due to euthropication. The wrecked boats on the bottom cause fishing gear to break and make fisheries management more difficult. Broken and abandoned boats end up on the bottom especially during high water and when the ice melts.
Abandoned boats also encourage littering and are a hazard to animals and people on the shore. Abandoned fibreglass boats release microplastics and glass over time. Toxic paints can also dissolve into the environment from these boats.
Boats to be flagged, after which they will be removed
There are approximately 150 boats on the shores of Pitkäjärvi, with additionally dozens on the bottom of the lake. In spring 2026, the city surveyed the boat locations. According to the survey, there are boats on city land, private properties, in areas owned by the fishing cooperative that manages the lake, and on common land.
In late June to early July 2026, the City will flag all boats for removal except for ones that are on private properties. After this, boat owners have roughly one month to either present their permit to store the boat or transport their boat somewhere else. This does not incur any costs to the owner.
After the deadline closes, the boats are considered abandoned property, which the city or landowner can then remove. Removed boats will be transported into an intermediate storage for roughly two months. At this point, if an owner wants to recover their boat, they must present a proof of ownership and pay for the cost of transportation and storage. Owners can ask for their removed boats at the following address: ymparisto@espoo.fi.
While boats on private properties are not flagged, private landowners must also inspect their boats and transport broken ones to an appropriate location for final disposal. Espoo’s Environmental Supervision can encourage landowners to personally remove their boat if it is considered to encourage littering.
Instructions for boat owners
If you have a boat that is broken, decommissioned or improperly stored, you must remove it.
- Transport your decommissioned boat to one of HSY’s Sortti stations, for example. There are other waste management companies in the Helsinki Metropolitan Region that accept boats as well. For example, the waste processing costs for a fibreglass row boat begin at a few dozen euros.
- If the boat is still usable but you don’t have the landowner’s permission to store it, we recommend that you move it somewhere else as soon as possible. Keep in mind that it is prohibited to store your boat on someone else’s land without permission.
- If your boat has been flagged for removal, you should follow the instructions on the flag note to contact the city.
Usable boats may be stored with the permission of the landowner, as long as there isn't a hazard of if sliding into the lake.
- Boats must be stored sufficiently above the waterline or secured to a tree, for example.
Further information: Environmental Supervision, ymparisto@espoo.fi.