THE FISHERY CONVENTIONS 611 



of the coast complaining of the depredations of French fisher- 

 men. They were accused of interfering with British fishermen 

 engaged in dredging for oysters fifteen miles from the shores 

 of France; of fishing for herrings and mackerel within less 

 than a mile of the British coasts, compelling the native fisher- 

 men to shoot their nets to the seawards of them ; of maliciously 

 destroying fishing gear, and of recklessly extirpating the 

 spawn and brood of fish in the shallow waters along the 

 English coast. The Government were urged to give effect 

 to the recommendations of the Committee of 1833, and they 

 "were asked by the Commissioners for the Herring Fishery 

 to issue instructions to the naval superintendent in Scotland 

 to prevent the encroachments complained of. 1 



From a perusal of these petitions it is evident that much 

 doubt existed at the time, not only in the minds of fishermen 

 but among many in authority, as to what was the precise 

 limit of exclusive fishery that might be claimed or enforced. 

 As a general rule, it was believed to extend much farther 

 than a league from the shore. Many fishermen maintained 

 that the boundary was three leagues, an opinion strongly 

 held in Scotland as late as 1862. The fishermen of Eyemouth, 

 probably influenced by traditions of the extent of the "re- 

 served waters" in earlier times, asked that foreigners should 

 be "kept without the limits prescribed by law, and that 

 limits (sic) be seven leagues," declaring that they went that 

 distance themselves, and were annoyed and endangered by 

 foreign vessels taking up the ground. 



On the part of French fishermen there were also numerous 

 complaints against the English, the most bitter referring to 

 the dredging for oysters off the French coast. In 1837 a 

 mixed commission was appointed by the British and French 

 Governments in connection with these complaints, and 

 especially to ascertain and define the limits within which 

 the subjects of the two countries respectively should be at 

 liberty to fish for oysters between Jersey and the neighbour- 



1 Memorials, &c., received by Her Majesty's Government since 1st January 1832, 

 complaining of the Aggressions of French fishermen on the British Coasts, Parl. 

 Papers, Sess. 1837-38 ; Supplementary Papers relative to the Complaints respecting 

 the Aggressions of French fishermen on the British Coasts, 1838, ibid. , 1839 ; 

 Reports by the Commissioners for the Herring Fishery, for 1834, 1835, 1839. 



