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Addressee: Member States
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The Permanent Forum urges States with indigenous peoples whose livelihoods and cultures are based upon sea, river and lake fisheries to recognize fishing rights that will build solid foundations for securing and developing local indigenous communities and their cultures.
Responses
Finland reports (2010): The Fishing Act, issued in 1982, with subsequent amendments applies in the Sámi region in the same way as in the other parts of Finland. Under the Act, the Sámi people are granted equal fishing rights with other local population groups. As a special feature in the three northernmost municipalities of the Sámi Homeland, Enontekiö, Inari and Utsjoki, the permanent residents of these municipalities have been granted a right to obtain a licence to practise fishing free of charge within the territory of these municipalities. This contributes to the safeguarding of the possibilities of the Sámi people to practise fishing.
The revision of the fishing legislation is under way, and issues relating to the fishing rights of the Sámi people will be duly addressed during the process. Relating to the overhaul of the Fishing Act, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has commissioned a specific survey of the fishing right questions in Upper Lapland. The survey process is on-going.
Final Report of UNPFII Session 8 (2009)
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