Japan court denies indigenous Ainu’s appeal on salmon-catching rights
A Japanese high court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling, denying an appeal by a group of Ainu in Hokkaido who sought recognition of their indigenous right to catch salmon in a local river, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing Kyodo.
The Sapporo High Court rejected the Raporo Ainu Nation’s claim to inherent fishing rights, stating that recognizing such rights would amount to an exclusive claim to commercial fishing in a specific part of a river.
The group comprises descendants of Ainu communities that settled near the river in Urahoro, Hokkaido, centuries ago.
In April 2024, the Sapporo District Court ruled that the river was public property and that the exclusive fishing rights of any particular group could not be recognized.
However, it also stated that the group has the right to practice their culture and acknowledged their long history of fishing in the area, which dates back to the Edo period (1603-1868).
This lawsuit was the first time the Ainu people officially demanded acknowledgment of their indigenous rights from both the central government and Hokkaido authorities.
The Raporo Ainu Nation stated in their appeal that the district court failed to adequately recognize their rights as an indigenous people under international law. They emphasized that they do not seek to monopolize salmon fishing but instead aim to assert rights rooted in their history and tradition.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that a UNESCO advisory body had recommended adding Japan’s Asuka-Fujiwara sites in Nara Prefecture, which illustrate the formation of Japan’s centralized state, to the World Cultural Heritage list.