The Saimaa ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis) is the only endemic mammal in Finland. At present the total population size of this subspecies is c. 250 individuals. Because the seal feeds on fish, and because of its value particularly as a source of meat, oil and leather, hunting was allowed until 1955. Conservation of the seal and some of its lairing areas by means of fishing restrictions requires the adoption of new attitudes. Semi-structured interviews elucidated the basis of conflicts concerning protection of the Saimaa ringed seal and fishing in Lake Pihlajavesi, Finland, where one of the most viable populations of the seal lives. Socio-economic position largely determined personal attitudes towards conservation; local landowners felt that their use of natural resources was restricted, while summer cottage owners wanted strict conservation. Commercial fishers considered the protection of the ringed seal unnecessary and a waste of money. Conservation biologists believed that the proposed actions were necessary to reduce the risk of extinction. Attitudes were also widely influenced by culture and social backgrounds. Those influenced by the traditional Finnish peasant/nature relationship had a different vision of nature from the conservationists who were influenced by modern science. Questions raised by the protection of the Saimaa ringed seal form an example of transition of an environmental conflict to larger-scale criticism of ongoing structural transformation in society. It is obvious that if nature conservation requires the approval of all social groups, it needs a change of authoritarian measures and acceptance of local knowledge, which should be used alongside scientific knowledge in management. Nature conservation policy led by specialists and authorities could be seen as widening the gap between urban and rural areas.