It also gas more than 14.000 hectares of marine fishing waters adjacent to the capital region. There are about 60 species of fish in the area (recreational fishing is popular).
Helsinki has 60 nature reserves, with a total area of 38.640 hectares. Of these, 19.500 ha are aquatic areas and 19.140 ha are land areas. The largest nature reserve is Vanhankaupunginselkä with an area of 12.400 ha, an area listed under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, part of the European Union’s Natura 2000 program. It is also listed as a bird sanctuary.
The area is largely similar to a swamp, impassable neither on foot nor by boat. Most of it is covered with man-high reeds, making it impossible to use a boat. In turn, the ground beneath the reeds is soft and muddy, making it impossible to cross on foot.
