PROTECTION OF DEEP SEA FISHERIES. 415 



never feel sure whether, on the signal being shown by the 

 aggrieved boat, a cruiser might be near, and come to the 

 rescue. The cruisers should also have 'certain districts 

 assigned to them, so that they may be spread about the 

 grounds as much as possible, lying to, or, moving as little 

 as possible during the night to avoid damaging the drift 

 nets. Article 21 is as follows : "When a boat fishing with 

 long lines entangles her lines in those of another boat, the 

 person who hauls up the lines shall not cut them, except 

 under stress of compulsory circumstances, in which case 

 any line cut shall be immediately joined together." There 

 is here simply a provision as to what is to be done after 

 long lines have got entangled, and the words, " compulsory 

 circumstances " are again used without any attempt at 

 explanation. It would have been better had an article 

 been introduced, a$ in the case of trawlers and drifters, 

 regulating as far as possible the shooting of the long lines, 

 with a view to prevent the entanglement from taking place. 

 Article 22 provides that " except in cases of salvage and 

 the cases to which the two preceding articles relate, no 

 fisherman shall under any pretext whatever cut, hook, or 

 lift up nets, lines, or other gear not belonging to him." 

 This is good as far as it goes, but the right to do this 

 ought to extend to cases where such a proceeding becomes 

 necessary for the purpose of identifying an offending vessel 

 whose name or number for sundry reasons cannot be 

 discovered. 



Article 21, section I, provides that : " All fishing boats, all 

 their small boats, all rigging, gear, or other appurtenances 

 of fishing boats, all nets, lines, buoys, or other fishing 

 implements whatsoever, found or picked up at sea, whether 

 marked or unmarked, shall, as soon as possible, be de- 

 livered to the competent authority of the first port to which 



