THE FISHERY CONVENTIONS 637 



following draft clause was formulated for insertion in the 

 convention : " In the extra-territorial part of the North Sea, 

 fishery shall be free at all seasons, and with all kinds of 

 implements, without any sort of distinction." The clause was 

 not adopted, and it was generally agreed that the question 

 was not ripe for decision by that conference, which was more- 

 over concerned with the police of the fisheries, and not with 

 the reproduction of fish, in the North Sea. 



The North Sea Convention was concluded in 1882, the 

 signatory Powers being Great Britain, Germany, France, 

 Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands. 1 Although the 

 delegates of the United Kingdom of Sweden and Norway 

 signed the protocol and were present at the final deliberations, 

 those Powers did not join in the convention, objections being 

 raised as to the definition of the territorial waters and on some 

 other points. 2 An additional article was inserted providing 

 that the King of Sweden and Norway might adhere later, for 

 both or either country ; but this has not been done, though the 

 coast of Norway forms a not inconsiderable part of the bound- 

 ary of the North Sea as defined in the convention. The reasons 

 which induced these countries to abstain from joining in a 

 friendly agreement with the neighbouring Powers of western 

 Europe, after having accepted the invitation to the conference 

 and taken part in its deliberations, must have appeared to them 

 strong ; and from the delay that occurred in coming to a de- 

 cision it is evident that the matter received full consideration. 

 They believed, however, that to agree to so restricted a bound- 

 ary for their territorial waters in respect to fishery would be 

 disadvantageous to them : it is probable, moreover, that the 

 raising of the question was not foreseen, since the object of the 

 conference was to consider the police of the fisheries in extra- 

 territorial waters in the North Sea. It is curious, indeed, that 



of herrings in the seas." Even if this were proved for the herring in the absolute 

 form in which it is expressed, and it is clearly illogical and unwarrantable to 

 pledge the future in this loose way, it obviously might not, and in point of fact 

 does not, apply to the great bulk of the fishes that would have been affected by the 

 German suggestion. 



1 International Convention for the Purpose of Reyulating the Police of the Fisheries 

 in the North Sea outside Territorial Waters. Signed at The Hague, 6th May 1882. 



3 Sir H. Rumbold to Earl Granville, 16th March 1882 ; H.M. Plenipotentiaries 

 to the same, 8th May 1882. 



