456 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



tion was at last agreed to between delegates from both 

 provinces, on December I7th, 1682, in virtue of which the 

 men detained were released on either side, and a set of 

 rules for Zuider Zee fishery was established on March 2ist, 

 1683, to be enforced as a law in both provinces.* 



The principal contents of this regulation were as follows : 



No silken nets whatever to be used, and the nets of yarn 

 not to be of a less depth than three feet measured between 

 the floats at the top and the lead used to steady them ; the 

 nets' meshes not to be narrower than twelve to the yard.f 



All setting of nets (a practice very common especially 

 along the Zuider Zee shores, by reason of their extreme 

 shallowness), to be prohibited in the first three months of 

 the year ; and all set nets to be placed seaward perpendi- 

 cular to the shore line, and not parallel to the shore, and 

 their ends marked by poles driven into the bottom, for 

 sailing vessels to avoid damaging them ; the maximum 

 length of these nets to be two hundred fathoms. 



Fishers using either set nets of the above description, or 

 fykes and weirs, to keep a convenient berth and not place 

 their contrivances closer to each other than at intervals of 

 one hundred fathoms at the least. 



All fish caught unripe and unfit for consumption to be 

 thrown overboard, whether dead or alive, and on no pre- 

 tence carried ashore and sold, bartered or otherwise turned 

 to account as food for pigs, ducks, or other animals. 



The use of seines (zegens) to be prohibited in the months 

 of April and May, and the meshes of such nets at all times 

 to be of the size of fourteen to half a yard. 



This regulation by treaty, issued as a law for Hollands 

 fishermen by the States of Holland on April loth, 1683, by 

 * Gr. Plac. Boek iv. p. 1358-9. 

 f " dan van twaelf overgangen in een elle" 



