"Indigenous rights" and unauthorized salmon fishing accused Ainu men Hokkaido September 3 23:08
Road indicted the men to the police for Ainu men in Monbetsu, Hokkaido, who claim that salmon fishing on the river is an indigenous right. The man said, “The problem of indigenous rights cannot be solved by criminal procedures”.
Satoshi Hatakeyama, the president of the Monbetsu Ainu Association, said that it was the rights of the indigenous people to take salmon used in Ainu traditional rituals, and the road officials instructed that they would violate the law on 1st this month. I continued fishing.
In response to this, Michi accused the police of Mr. Hiyama and a man who helped fishermen for taking salmon and trout without permission and violating the Fisheries Resource Protection Law.
However, the “Ainu Policy Promotion Law”, which took effect in May, says that special consideration is given to the succession of traditional fishing methods, but roads still require permission.
Mr. Hatakeyama says, “The problem of rights of indigenous people cannot be solved by criminal procedures. Through this action, I would like many people to think seriously about the rights of indigenous people.”
Regarding the situation of Ainu people, last year, the UN Commission noted that the rights to natural resources and land were not fully guaranteed, and it is likely to argue over the protection of indigenous rights and compliance with laws.