THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 55 



probably more towns not particularly mentioned, were by 

 means of these local boards constantly on the look-out for 

 each other's trespasses, which, as soon as discovered, were 

 reported to the central College residing at Delft, who took 

 steps for the better enforcement of the law. Thus in 1604* 

 it was discovered that skippers from Enkhuizen sometimes 

 acted against the fishing laws, and the magistrates of the 

 said city were compelled, upon the remonstrances of one of 

 the Burgomasters of Rotterdam and of " them of the Grand 

 Fishery " to issue an order for the observance of the exist- 

 ing rules by fishermen hailing from the Enkhuizen port. 

 On the other hand, some of the fishing towns took upon 

 themselves considerable responsibilities in the way of 

 mitigating the laws when found too severe. On the I5th 

 of December 1609,! the local boards of Delft, Rotterdam, 

 Schiedam, Brielle and Enkhuizen met at the first-named 

 town, and agreed, on their own authority, upon a " mild 

 execution ' of the statutes against selling herring at sea, 

 provided such herring should not have been caught before 

 the lawful season. This striking instance of open tamper- 

 ing with the law is strongly illustrative of the very ill-defined 

 and swaying conditions under which public power w r as held 

 in the Republic. Still more strongly does it testify to the 

 fact that, even in the first outset of systematic fishing legis- 

 lation, its flaws and nuisances were realised by those con- 

 cerned, who knew their immediate interest even where the 

 law precluded them from following it up. 



The Central Fishery College's influence manifested 

 itself afresh in 1606, by a prohibition against exporting 

 herring-barrels, whole or half-staves, nets and cross- 

 gear,:!: which prohibition was suggested by " those of the 



* Res. Holland, 1604, p. 158. 



t Res. Holland, 1609, p. 1089. % Kruyswant. 



