A court ruling that the Raporo Ainu Nation has no indigenous right to freely catch and sell salmon caught in local rivers poses difficult questions for the Japanese government and the courts about which activities count toward the inherent legal rights of an indigenous people to preserve and advance their land. culture and traditions.
While the Sapporo District Court ruled on April 18 that the Ainu people have been fishing for salmon in the Urahoro area since the 17th century and have the right to continue their culture, the judge also ruled that the plaintiffs’ rights as indigenous people didn’t. extend to having an inherent right to fish for commercial reasons, as part of their economic livelihood.
In some ways, the rights issue facing the Ainu people mirrors those faced by other indigenous groups abroad.
