238 THE RELATIONS OF THE STATE WITH 



Act of 1868. By article 10 of this Order open fishing-boats 

 under way, instead of carrying the side lights required on 

 other ships, must exhibit on approaching vessels a green 

 and red globular lantern. A fishing vessel at anchor 

 must show a bright white light, and, when drift-net fishing 

 two red lights vertically on the mast. Trawlers at work, 

 in addition to side lights, must carry a red and also a green 

 light vertically, or else a lantern with a red and green 

 glass. 



Publicists at one time held that fishing vessels, in con- 

 sideration of the necessity and industry of fishermen, were 

 exempt from seizure in time of war. Now that sea fishing 

 has become a national and commercial industry, as op- 

 posed to that which formerly supplied subsistence and 

 articles of first necessity alone to those who plied it (with- 

 out a profit beyond to owners, contractors, and others) the 

 position has become untenable, and it has been abandoned. 



Nets are now totally unrestricted as to the size of their 

 meshes, and as to their form and the mode of their use. 

 The enactments of 1843 (6 & 7 Viet. c. 79), whereby herring- 

 nets were not to exceed one inch from knot to knot, nor 

 mackerel-nets an inch and one-sixth, were finally repealed 

 in 1868. 



Except by mutual consent, and unless it be found impos- 

 sible to clear them by other means, nets which have fouled 

 others may not be cut ; and they may not be used as 

 an anchorage for boats, nor lifted by others than their 

 owners. 



It is illegal to fix any nets where drift-nets are floating, 

 and when found lost at sea they are at once to be taken to 

 the Receiver of Wreck. 



Sails, buoys, floats and other principal implements, must 

 be marked with the letters of the boat to which they belong; 



