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Salmon fishing was not unlimited—both practical sustainability and spiritual respect required restraint.
The Spawning Protection:
Actively spawning salmon were not to be killed—they had completed their journey, deserved to fulfill their purpose, and their death would come naturally after spawning. Taking them at this vulnerable moment was violation of sacred cycle.
The First Salmon:
The season’s first catch belonged to the gods or the community—not kept privately but offered or shared. This acknowledged that salmon were gift, not possession, and that gratitude was required.
The River Rights:
Fishing rights on salmon rivers were closely guarded—determined by kinship, by territory, by ancient agreements. Poaching salmon from another’s river was serious offense, bringing legal consequences and spiritual curse.
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