MODERN PRACTICE 661 



in different countries and in the opinion of different publicists, 

 but that the general opinion was that the range of guns was 

 the sole rule on the matter. 1 It may be added that by the 

 customs law of 1896, the manifest of vessels may be de- 

 manded within ten kilometres of the coast. 2 



In Greece, another of the Mediterranean states, the three- 

 mile limit was adopted in 1869, when a circular of the 

 Minister of Marine prohibited foreigners from fishing within 

 that distance of the shore. Previously, in virtue of a royal 

 decree issued in 1834, foreign boats were allowed to fish for 

 sardines in the Gulf of Corinth, but this concession was 

 withdrawn. 3 



As already mentioned, the three-mile limit is the one in 

 force in all the British colonies, in Japan, 4 in the United 

 States of America, and in some at least of the South American 

 states. The Chilian Government, for example, has defined 

 the extent of the territorial sea belonging to it as one marine 

 league from low-watermark, within which distance the right of 

 fishing is reserved to Chilian citizens or domiciled foreigners. 

 At the same time it is stated that "police administration for 

 the purposes of the security of the State or the carrying 

 out of fiscal regulations extends to a distance of four marine 

 leagues, measured in the same manner." 5 



Quite lately, however, one of the chief states of South 

 America has advanced a claim to a very wide extent of sea 

 along its coasts so far, at least, as the right of fishery is con- 

 cerned. In September 1907 the Minister of Agriculture for 

 the Argentine Republic issued a series of ordinances for the 

 regulation of the fisheries, 6 in which it is declared that, with 

 respect to the fisheries, a zone of water up to a distance of ten 

 miles (18,520 metres, or about 10^ nautical miles) from high- 

 water mark on the land is under the control of the state. The 

 great gulfs and bays are, moreover, included, such as the Gulf 

 of San Matias, the Gulf of St George, and the Gulf of Nuevo, 



1 Definizione del mare territoriale e ordine di vigilare sugli armamenti alia pesca. 

 Ann. del Ministero di Agricoltura, Industria e Commercio, i. parte i. 96. Genoa, 1 871. 



2 Corsi, in Fifteenth Ann. Rep. Assoc. for the Reform and' Codification of the 

 Law of Nations, 83. 



3 No. 7, 409, 2nd Dec. 1869. Apostolides, LaPtcke en Grece, 86. Athens, 1888. 



4 Dr Kishinouye, in litt. 8 Civil Code, Articles 593, 611. 

 15 Reglamentendo la pesca y caza, Boletin official, 20th September 1907. 



