68
The Sami People’s Righ
o Cul u e in he Con ex
o he Tana Fishe y
Ag eemen (2017)
Ka olina Siko a
∗
In oduc ion
The Tana Ri e is one o he wo ld's
la ges i e sys ems o A lan ic salmon,
wi h he highes annual ca ch in he
a ea.1 In 2017 he No wegian Pa liamen
adop ed he so-called Tana Ag eemen ,
which was also accep ed by he Finnish
Pa liamen . The Tana Ag eemen
egula es ishe y igh s, ishing quo as
and ishing echniques in he Tana Ri e
so as o p o ec and p ese e salmon
s ocks in he i e . Howe e , he Sami
people, who ha e inhabi ed he No h
Fennoscandia since ime immemo ial,
a gue ha his ag eemen iola es hei
ishing igh s, and as a esul , hei igh
o cul u e. In his pape , I will p esen
new ishing egula ions and add ess he
∗ PhD Candida e, Facul y o Law, Uni e si y o Lapland; Visi ing Resea che , No he n Ins i u e o
En i onmen al and Mino i y Law (NIEM), A c ic Cen e, Uni e si y o Lapland.
1 Teno In o. In o ma ion abou Teno o Fishing En husias s, 2018, p. 2, h ps://www.ely-
keskus. i/documen s/10191/23117928/Teno+in o+English.pd /1a185302- a5d-4ba6-bd90-17183 e d 21.
2 O e enskoms mellom konge ike No ge og epublikken Finland om elles o sk i e om iske i
Tanael as iskeom åde. (Kgl. es. a 24. eb ua 1989. T åd e i k a den 1. janua 1990.),
h p:// ana isk.no/wp-con en /uploads/2011/08/o e enskoms -mellom-No ge-og-Finland-om- elles-
o sk i e -om- iske -i-Tanael as- iskeom åde.pd .
3 Eu opean Commission. Di ec i e 2000/60/EC o he Eu opean Pa liamen and o he Council o 23
Oc obe 2000 es ablishing a amewo k o Communi y ac ion in he ield o wa e policy.
4 Finnma k Fylkeskommune and Elinkeinoelämän keskuslii o (no da e). Join wa e managemen o he
Finnish-. No wegian i e basin dis ic (2016-2021). Tana, Neiden and Pas ik ca chmen a eas in Finland and
No way,
issue o iola ion o he igh o cul u e
o he Sami people in ela ion o he Tana
Ag eemen . In he end, I will emphasise
social eac ion owa ds his con lic .
The Tana Ag eemen
Since 1873 Tana’s legal s a us has been
egula ed join ly by No way and
Finland. Howe e , he ag eemen has
no been upda ed since 19902, un il he
Tana Ag eemen was adop ed in 2017.
Besides ha , since he yea 2000, he
Eu opean Commission’s Wa e
F amewo k Di ec i e (WFD)3 has been
in o ce. The di ec i e (a icle 3, poin 3)
s a es ha any i e basin co e ing he
e i o y o mo e han one Membe S a e
is assigned o an in e na ional i e basin
dis ic . Acco ding o his ule, No way
and Finland signed a join ag eemen
conce ning he Tana Ri e ,
acknowledging ha all ac ions
ega ding he Tana Ri e ’s managemen
and planning should be unde aken
join ly by Finnish and No wegian
au ho i ies.4 Howe e , he e is also a
69
No wegian ac which was adop ed in
1888 (Righ o Fishe y in Tana Ri e )5
and enewed in 2014.6 Acco ding o ha
documen , he igh o local people o
ish salmon in he Tana Ri e is based on
law, he p inciple o con inuous use o e
a long pe iod o his o ical ime
(immemo ially, coming om cus oma y
law and cou p ac ice) and local
cus oms.7
Ri e s a e pa o s a es’ e i o ies. In
he case o Tana Ri e he si ua ion is
mo e complex, since he i e is also a
na ional bo de , a bo de o he
Eu opean Union and a pa o Sápmi, he
adi ional Sami e i o ies. Fo hose
easons, No wegian law applies wi h he
cons ain s imposed by ILO Con en ion
169 and mus be applied in acco dance
wi h in e na ional law on indigenous
peoples and mino i ies and p o isions
included in ag eemen s wi h Finland
conce ning ishing in he Tana.8
The Sami people’s igh o cul u e
The Tana Ri e is p o oundly connec ed
o he Sami people’s cul u e, hei way o
li e and iden i y. T adi ional echniques
h p://ec.eu opa.eu/en i onmen /wa e /pd /Finnish_No wegian_in e na ional_ i e _basin_dis ic .pd
.
5 Lo 23. juni 1888 om Re en il Fiske i i Tana asd age i Finma kens Am .
6 Lo 20. juni 2014 n . 51 om iske e en i Tana assd age (Tanalo en) § 6 ø s e og anne ledd, lo 15.
mai 1992 n . 47 om lakse isk og innlands isk m . (lakse- og innlands isklo en).
7 Lo om iske e en i Tana assd age (Tanalo en), a icle 1, h ps://lo da a.no/dokumen /NL/lo /2014-
06-20-51/§6#§6.
8 Lo om iske e en i Tana assd age (Tanalo en), a icle 3, h ps://lo da a.no/dokumen /NL/lo /2014-
06-20-51/§6#§6.
9 Teno In o. In o ma ion abou Teno o Fishing En husias s, 2018, p. 2.
10 Anon. 2016. S a us o he Ri e Tana salmon popula ions 2016. Repo o he Wo king G oup on
Salmon Moni o ing and Resea ch in he Tana Ri e Sys em.
o ishing ha e been passed down as
adi ional knowledge om one
gene a ion o he nex o cen u ies.
Fu he mo e, salmon cons i u e one o
he main sou ces o subsis ence in he
Dea nu egion. They p o ide basic
su i al, income and well-being o all
local inhabi an s, including indigenous
people.
Recen ly, Finnish and No wegian
au ho i ies ha e s a ed ha he Tana
Ri e is o e ished and salmon s ocks
a e being slowly deple ed. One o he
causes o his si ua ion is he use o ne -
ypes gea , which di ec s ishes in o he
ap.9 Cu en ly, ou di e en gea
ypes a e pe mi ed: d i ne s, seines,
wei s and gillne s.10 The Tana is one o
he ew i e s in Eu ope, whe e such
equipmen can be used. Those
echniques a e also adi ional Sami
ways o ishing.
The ishing ag eemen om 2017
educes he numbe o de ices (d i ne s
o hea -se ya ns) used a he same ime
when ishing (Tana Ag eemen 2017,
pa ag aph 15). The e o e, he adi ional
ca ch echniques used by he Sami
70
ishe men a e egula ed o a deg ee,
whe eas non-Sami ishe men who do
no use hose me hods a e no co e ed
by egula ions. In his way, Sami
ishe men claim hey ace disc imina ion
as hei ishing p ac ices a e limi ed
un ai ly in compa ison wi h hose o
non-Sami ishe men.
Acco ding o a icle 15.1 o ILO
Con en ion 169, indigenous peoples
ha e special igh s o na u al esou ces
loca ed on hei land, including ishe ies.
The e m “land” is unde s ood as he
“ o al en i onmen ” which indigenous
peoples inhabi since ime immemo ial;
he e o e, i e s a e included.11 Fo
indigenous peoples "land" is no only a
geog aphical e i o y. They ha e a
spi i ual ela ionship wi h i , which
builds up hei iden i y, and gi es a
sense o belonging o a gi en communi y
and he whole cul u e o a g oup. Fo
ha eason, indigenous peoples ha e he
igh o pa icipa e in he use,
managemen and conse a ion o
esou ces loca ed on hei lands. A icle
15 (2) o ILO Con en ion 169 gi es only
a gene al amewo k o pa icipa ion
p ocedu e. Speci ic condi ions a e
included in a icle 6 o he Con en ion.
Acco ding o hose ules, pa icipa ion
should be p o ided by consul ing
11 In e na ional Labou O ganiza ion 2003. ILO Con en ion on Indigenous and T ibal Peoples, 1989
(No. 169): A Manual, p. 30,
h p://p o169.o g/ es/ma e ials/en/gene al_ esou ces/Manual%20on%20ILO%20Con en ion%20No.%
20169.pd .
12 Human Righ s Council. Follow-up epo on indigenous peoples and he igh o pa icipa e in
decision-making, wi h a ocus on ex ac i e indus ies, 30 Ap il 2012. A/HRC/EMRIP/2012/2, p. 13.
13 Hen iksen. 2008. Resea ch on Bes P ac ices o he Implemen a ion o he P inciples o ILO
Con en ion No. 169. Case S udy: 7 Key P inciples in Implemen ing ILO Con en ion No. 169, p. 30.
indigenous peoples conce ning all
ac ions ha may a ec hem di ec ly.
Consul a ions a e o be held be ween
g oups’ ep esen a i es and a s a e's
legal bodies be o e he decision is
unde aken, as consul a ion should, i s
o all, lead o ob aining he ee, p io
and in o med consen o indigenous
people, which is unde s ood as hei
igh o sel -de e mina ion.12 The
consul a ions mus be conduc ed in
good ai h and should aim o “ eally
in luence he decision making
p ocess”.13
Addi ionally, acco ding o he Tana
Ag eemen he salmon ishing season
s a s 1s June and las s un il 20 h
Augus o local ishe men and om
10 h June o 10 h Augus o isi ing
ishe men (Tana Ag eemen 2017,
pa ag aph 7). Howe e , in di e en
ibu a ies, he ag eemen educes he
numbe o ishing days di e en ly (Tana
Ag eemen 2017, pa ag aph 33).
Mo eo e , p e iously some ibu a ies
we e ese ed only o he local people,
including he Sami. New egula ions
opened some o hose ibu a ies also o
isi ing ishe men, including ou is s,
unde he condi ion ha hey buy a
ishing pe mi . The local Sami people
a gue ha hey do no ha e any con ol
71
o e how many pe mi s ha e been
issued.14 Fo ha eason, a bigge sha e
o ish may be caugh by ou is s, and no
local inhabi an s.15 Howe e , i is no
only he Sami people who ha e
disag eed wi h new egula ions. Non–
Sami inhabi an s o he Dean u Valley
claim ha hey bough p ope ies in he
egion oge he wi h ishing igh s,
which now canno be used as
ex ensi ely as p e iously.
Fu he mo e, any boa wi h which a
pe son wan s o ish mus be egis e ed.
Local people can egis e up o h ee
boa s, whe eas i hey a e unning a
ou is business, hey can egis e up o
15. In his case, he Sami people who do
no li e in he Tana alley pe manen ly,
and a e no egis e ed as local
inhabi an s, a e conside ed isi ing
ishe men, who need o en a boa om
locals.
In his con ex , as a esponse o he
p o isions included in he Tana
Ag eemen , he Sami people claim ha
hei su i al is h ea ened.
Fu he mo e, hey a gue ha hei
human igh s as gua an eed in he
14 Eye on he A c ic. Sami g oup occupies island in no he n Finland o p o es ishing ules. 13 July
2017, h p://www. cine .ca/eye-on- he-a c ic/2017/07/13/sami-g oup-occupies-island- o-p o es -
ishing- ules-in-no he n- inland- i e /.
15 The Ba en s Obse e . 13 July 2017. “We also ge o ea salmon” – New ishing es ic ions suppo ed
by people ups eam he Ri e Teno, h ps:// heba en sobse e .com/en/bo de s/2017/07/we-also-ge -
ea -salmon-new- ishing- es ic ions-suppo ed-people-ups eam- i e - eno.
16 The Local. 21 July 2017. No he n No wegian islands in mo a o ium o e ishing. Righ s,
h ps://www. helocal.no/20170721/no he n-no wegian-islands-in-mo a o ium-o e - ishing- igh s.
17 Ibidem.
18 The Ba en s Obse e . 21 July 2017. The illage o U sjoki is emp y: Tou is s ha e disappea ed – “I
his was F ance, we could al eady ha e qui e an up ising he e”, h ps:// heba en sobse e .com/en/li e-
and-public/2017/07/ illage-u sjoki-emp y- ou is s-ha e-disappea ed-i -was- ance-we-could.
In e na ional Co enan on Ci il and
Poli ical Righ s (1966) a icle 27 a e being
iola ed. The legal no m de i ing om
his a icle p o ec s he igh o people
belonging o e hnic, eligious and
linguis ic mino i ies o enjoy hei own
cul u e in communi y wi h o he s. In
esponse o he iola ion o his no m,
he Sami ac i is g oup “Ellos Dea nu”
has been calling o ci il disobedience.16
In June 2017 he g oup p oclaimed a
"mo a o ium" on Tii asaa i Island
(Čea e suolu in No he n Sami
language), on he Finnish side o he
i e .17 The g oup does no ecognise he
new ishing ag eemen as binding on he
e i o y o he island.18
Howe e , he legal pla o m c ea ed by
ILO Con en ion 169 has been
unde mined, as i has been a i ied only
by No way and no by Finland.
Ne e heless, bo h coun ies, No way
and Finland, ha e a i ied he Uni ed
Na ions Decla a ion on he Righ s o
Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The
challenging legal aspec ha a ises he e
is ha UNDRIP is a decla a ion and is
no legally binding. Consequen ly,
UNDRIP canno cons i u e he sole legal
72
basis o an in e na ional complain .
Howe e , he p o isions included in he
Decla a ion can se e as a o m o
cus oma y law. O e ime, he
consis en , con inued use and p ac ice o
UNDRIP can lead o he eme gence o
opinio jui is, which is al eady binding
law.19 In his con ex , a icle 26 o
UNDRIP may be alid. The no m
de i ing om his a icle, in a simila
way as ILO Con en ion 169, p o ec s he
igh s o lands and esou ces which
indigenous people ha e inhabi ed.
Addi ionally, he p o ision gua d he
igh s o use, own, de elop, and con ol
o e hese e i o ies.
Conclusion
In he con ex o indigenous peoples, i is
impossible o sepa a e one igh om he
o he s. They a e all o e lapping and
in luencing each o he . I seems ha he
common s em lays in he igh o cul u e.
Cul u e builds ounda ions o e e y
communi y, no only indigenous
communi ies. Indigenous cul u e
ga he s di e en ac o s like land,
adi ions and local knowledge and
o e s indigenous peoples sense o
belonging. Fo ha eason, when alking
abou ishe y igh s, one canno exclude
land igh s and cul u al igh s. In he
case o he Tana Ri e , he Sami people
a e a aid ha oge he wi h ishing
capabili ies, hey will lose hei iden i y,
19 Magui e. 2014. The UN Decla a ion on he Righ s o Indigenous Peoples and Sel -De e mina ion in
Aus alia: Using a Human Righ s App oach o P omo e Accoun abili y, New Zealand Yea book o
In e na ional Law, Vol. 12. p. 111.
which is shaped a leas in pa by he
abo e-men ioned ac o s. Besides being
indigenous, hey a e a he same ime
human beings and membe s o a
mino i y, and o ha eason, hey
demand p o ec ion.
Re e ences:
Anon. 2016. S a us o he Ri e Tana
salmon popula ions 2016. Repo o he
Wo king G oup on Salmon Moni o ing
and Resea ch in he Tana Ri e Sys em.
Eye on he A c ic. Sami g oup occupies
island in no he n Finland o p o es
ishing ules. 13 July 2017. A ailable a :
h p://www. cine .ca/eye-on- he-
a c ic/2017/07/13/sami-g oup-occupies-
island- o-p o es - ishing- ules-in-
no he n- inland- i e / (Viewed
7.11.2018).
Eu opean Commission. 2000. Di ec i e
2000/60/EC o he Eu opean Pa liamen
and o he Council o 23 Oc obe 2000
es ablishing a amewo k o
Communi y ac ion in he ield o wa e
policy.
Finnma k Fylkeskommune and
Elinkeinoelämän keskuslii o (no da e).
Join wa e managemen o he Finnish-
No wegian i e basin dis ic (2016-
2021). Tana, Neiden and Pas ik
ca chmen a eas in Finland and No way.
A ailable a :

73
h p://ec.eu opa.eu/en i onmen /wa e /
pd /Finnish_No wegian_in e na ional_
i e _basin_dis ic .pd (Viewed
7.11.2018).
Hen iksen, J. 2008. Resea ch on Bes
P ac ices o he Implemen a ion o he
P inciples o ILO Con en ion No. 169.
Case S udy: 7 Key P inciples in
Implemen ing ILO Con en ion No. 169.
Human Righ s Council. Follow-up
epo on indigenous peoples and he
igh o pa icipa e in decision-making,
wi h a ocus on ex ac i e indus ies, 30
Ap il 2012. A/HRC/EMRIP/2012/2.
In e na ional Labou O ganiza ion 2003.
ILO Con en ion on Indigenous and
T ibal Peoples, 1989 (No. 169): A
Manual. A ailable a :
h p://p o169.o g/ es/ma e ials/en/gene
al_ esou ces/Manual%20on%20ILO%20
Con en ion%20No.%20169.pd (Viewed
12.11.2018).
Lo 23. juni 1888 om Re en il Fiske i i
Tana asd age i Finma kens Am .
Lo 20. juni 2014 n . 51 om iske e en i
Tana assd age (Tanalo en) § 6 ø s e og
anne ledd, lo 15. mai 1992 n . 47 om
lakse isk og innlands isk m . (lakse- og
innlands isklo en)
Lo om iske e en i Tana assd age
(Tanalo en). A ailable a :
h ps://lo da a.no/dokumen /NL/lo /20
14-06-20-51/§6#§6 (Viewed 12.11.2018).
Magui e, A. 2014. The UN Decla a ion
on he Righ s o Indigenous Peoples and
Sel -De e mina ion in Aus alia: Using a
Human Righ s App oach o P omo e
Accoun abili y. New Zealand Yea book
o In e na ional Law, Vol. 12.
O e enskoms mellom konge ike
No ge og epublikken Finland om elles
o sk i e om iske i Tanael as
iskeom åde. (Kgl. es. a 24. eb ua
1989. T åd e i k a den 1. janua 1990.)
A ailable a : h p:// ana isk.no/wp-
con en /uploads/2011/08/o e enskoms -
mellom-No ge-og-Finland-om- elles-
o sk i e -om- iske -i-Tanael as-
iskeom åde.pd (Viewed 12.11.2018).
Teno In o. In o ma ion abou Teno o
Fishing En husias s, 2018, p. 2. A ailable
a : h ps://www.ely-
keskus. i/documen s/10191/23117928/Te
no+in o+English.pd /1a185302- a5d-
4ba6-bd90-17183 e d 21 (Viewed
15.11.2018).
The Ba en s Obse e . 13 July 2017. “We
also ge o ea salmon” – New ishing
es ic ions suppo ed by people
ups eam he Ri e Teno. A ailable a :
h ps:// heba en sobse e .com/en/bo d
e s/2017/07/we-also-ge -ea -salmon-
new- ishing- es ic ions-suppo ed-
people-ups eam- i e - eno (Viewed
7.11.2018).
The Local. 21 July 2017. No he n
No wegian islands in mo a o ium o e
ishing igh s. A ailable a :
h ps://www. helocal.no/20170721/no h
74
e n-no wegian-islands-in-mo a o ium-
o e - ishing- igh s (Viewed 15.11.2018).
The Ba en s Obse e . 21 July 2017. The
illage o U sjoki is emp y: Tou is s ha e
disappea ed – “I his was F ance, we
could al eady ha e qui e an up ising
he e”. A ailable a :
h ps:// heba en sobse e .com/en/li e-
and-public/2017/07/ illage-u sjoki-
emp y- ou is s-ha e-disappea ed-i -
was- ance-we-could (Viewed
28.11.2018).