Japan court rejects appeal by indigenous Ainu over right to catch salmon

A Japanese high court on Thursday upheld a lower court decision by rejecting an appeal by a group of Ainu in Hokkaido seeking recognition of their inherent right as indigenous people to catch salmon in a local river.The Sapporo High Court dismissed arguments by the Raporo Ainu Nation that they had the inherent fishing right, saying in its ruling that it would be equivalent to an exclusive claim to commercial fishing at a certain area of a river.The group includes descendants of Ainu communities who began residing around the river in Urahoro, Hokkaido, centuries ago.The Sapporo District Cour…READ FULL ARTICLE