INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS OF FISHERIES ON THE HIGH SEAS. 119 
Each of the interested Governments enacted legislation for enforcing the 
provisions of this convention, the laws being promulgated by the respective 
states on the following dates: In Great Britain, August 2, 1883; in the Nether- 
ands, December 7, 1883; in Belgium, January 6 and 8, 1884; in France, Jan- 
uary 15 and April 5, 1884; in Denmark, March 29, 1884, and in Germany, April 
30, 1884. The regulations of the convention came into force on May-15, 1884. 
Although an additional article made provision for adherence to the con- 
vention by Norway and Sweden, either jointly or separately, neither of these 
nations has assented, and they are not bound thereby. Nor has any one of the 
signatory powers withdrawn; so that the regulations of the convention are yet 
operative among them. 
In 1891 the Governments of Great Britain and Belgium united in a decla- 
ration for the purpose of simplifying the procedure for the settlement of differ- 
ences between British and Belgian fishermen in the North Sea outside territorial 
waters, and of reducing as much as possible the injuries they may sustain from 
the fouling of fishing gear. This declaration is given at length in Appendix D 
(page 167 of this paper). It was confirmed in Great Britain on July 21, 1891 (54 
and 55 Vict., ch. 37), and in Belgium on August 19, 1891. 
Difficulties among the fishermen in the North Sea decreased as a result of 
the convention of 1882, especially with the better understanding of that con- 
vention and of the laws founded upon it, although cases still occur in which 
avoidable injury is occasioned to the gear. The following summary shows for 
a series of years the number of complaints made against foreigners by British 
fishermen, with the amount of damages claimed and the amount of damages 
collected, and similar data relative to foreign complaints made against British 
fishermen. This probably represents fully three-fourths of the total number of 
complaints made during the years herein reported. 
SUMMARY SHOWING FOR A SERIES OF YEARS THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS, AMOUNT OF DAMAGES 
CLAIMED AND THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGES COLLECTED, BY AND AGAINST BRITISH FISHERMEN 
UNDER THE NORTH SEA CONVENTION OF 1882. 
Complaints against foreigners by Complaints against British by 
British fishermen. foreign fishermen. 
Damages | Damages - Damages Damages 
claimed. collected. claimed. collected. 
£ 
318 
280 
22 
115 
208 
41 
212 
696 
372 
943 
304 
484 
