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Indigenous Peoples' Right to Fish : Recent Recognition of Sámi rights in Finland through Civil Disobedience and Criminal Trial

Scheinin, Martin LU orcid (2024) In Routledge research in polar regions p.37-37
Abstract (Swedish)
Fishing is a livelihood that is typical for many Indigenous peoples in the world and is often based on specific natural resources within areas that they have traditionally inhabited, giving rise to a distinct culture and way of life. Fishing may be important for the subsistence of an Indigenous group but also for trade, social life, language, ceremonies or artwork. It is also transmitted from generation to generation, representing both the continuity and evolution of a living Indigenous culture. This chapter discusses three recent (2022) court judgments in Finland in which the Sámi defendants were all acquitted of criminal charges after they had engaged themselves in fishing, each in their respective home river and in contravention of... (More)
Fishing is a livelihood that is typical for many Indigenous peoples in the world and is often based on specific natural resources within areas that they have traditionally inhabited, giving rise to a distinct culture and way of life. Fishing may be important for the subsistence of an Indigenous group but also for trade, social life, language, ceremonies or artwork. It is also transmitted from generation to generation, representing both the continuity and evolution of a living Indigenous culture. This chapter discusses three recent (2022) court judgments in Finland in which the Sámi defendants were all acquitted of criminal charges after they had engaged themselves in fishing, each in their respective home river and in contravention of state-imposed restrictions. The courts acknowledged the importance of fishing as part of Sámi culture and rejected the charges, on constitutional grounds and also informed by the international human rights obligations of Finland concerning Indigenous peoples’ rights. Broader implications of the three cases relate to the relationship between ecological sustainability and cultural sustainability, to the notion of culture and to the potential role of Indigenous self-determination in the regulation of fisheries. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Public international law, Folkrätt
host publication
The significance of Sámi rights : Law, justice, and sustainability for the indigenous Sámi in the Nordic Countries - Law, justice, and sustainability for the indigenous Sámi in the Nordic Countries
series title
Routledge research in polar regions
editor
Cambou, Dorothee and Ravna, Øyvind
pages
51 pages
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85180857519
ISBN
9781003220640
DOI
10.4324/9781003220640-4
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
9b4ed76b-e0f2-4018-89e0-d92dd68b88f0
date added to LUP
2025-02-19 11:46:01
date last changed
2025-05-15 11:43:20
@inbook{9b4ed76b-e0f2-4018-89e0-d92dd68b88f0,
  abstract     = {{Fishing is a livelihood that is typical for many Indigenous peoples in the world and is often based on specific natural resources within areas that they have traditionally inhabited, giving rise to a distinct culture and way of life. Fishing may be important for the subsistence of an Indigenous group but also for trade, social life, language, ceremonies or artwork. It is also transmitted from generation to generation, representing both the continuity and evolution of a living Indigenous culture. This chapter discusses three recent (2022) court judgments in Finland in which the Sámi defendants were all acquitted of criminal charges after they had engaged themselves in fishing, each in their respective home river and in contravention of state-imposed restrictions. The courts acknowledged the importance of fishing as part of Sámi culture and rejected the charges, on constitutional grounds and also informed by the international human rights obligations of Finland concerning Indigenous peoples’ rights. Broader implications of the three cases relate to the relationship between ecological sustainability and cultural sustainability, to the notion of culture and to the potential role of Indigenous self-determination in the regulation of fisheries.}},
  author       = {{Scheinin, Martin}},
  booktitle    = {{The significance of Sámi rights : Law, justice, and sustainability for the indigenous Sámi in the Nordic Countries}},
  editor       = {{Cambou, Dorothee and Ravna, Øyvind}},
  isbn         = {{9781003220640}},
  keywords     = {{Public international law; Folkrätt}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  pages        = {{37--37}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Routledge research in polar regions}},
  title        = {{Indigenous Peoples' Right to Fish : Recent Recognition of Sámi rights in Finland through Civil Disobedience and Criminal Trial}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003220640-4}},
  doi          = {{10.4324/9781003220640-4}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}