CHAPTER III.

THE FISHERY CONVENTIONS.

In nineteenth century the boundaries of territorial sea concerned chiefly with fisheries--Encroachment of foreign fishermen--Dutch decrees of 1824 and 1829 fixing a limit of two leagues on British coast--Disputes with French fishermen--Inquiry by select committee of House of Commons, 1833--Their recommendations--Opinion as to bays--Renewed encroachments and disputes--Convention with France, 1839--Three-mile limit and ten miles for bays adopted--Granville Bay reserved for French--Regulations regarding trawling--Disputes with Belgian and Dutch fishermen--Belgians claim special rights under Bruges Charter--Convention of 1852 with Belgium--Dispute about Fame Islands--Second Convention with France, 1867--Not ratified--Question of Irish oyster-beds beyond three-mile limit--Fishery disputes in British North America--The definition of bays and creeks--British cruisers seize American vessels--The British Government relax the rule as to Bay of Fundy--Decision of referee as to this bay--Reciprocity Treaty, 1854--Terminated by United States, 1866--Concessions by British Government--Licenses to American vessels--A six-mile limit for bays conceded--Treaty of Washington, 1871--Terminated by United States, 1885--Treaty of Washington, 1888--Precise delimitation of bays--Treaty not ratified by United States--_Modus vivendi_ conceded and still in force--Discussion as to bays--Renewed disputes in North Sea--The Belgian “Devil”--The Higgin’s Inquiry--Conference at Hague, 1881--Views of British Government as to territorial limit--Question of dependent banks--Trawling and preservation of fish--North Sea Convention, 1882--Sweden and Norway refuse to join--Discussion of its terms--Views of British Government as to inclusion of banks--Question of the Eddystone, the Bell Rock, the Seven-Stones Rocks--Discussion as to limit under the Conventions and under the Law of Nations--Anglo-Danish Convention, 1901, respecting the Faröes and Iceland 604