THE INADEQUACY OF THE THREE-MILE LIMIT 729 



it was decided to proceed against British subjects who might 

 be found on the foreign vessels which were violating it, and 

 who were undoubtedly under the jurisdiction of British courts. 

 On March 20th twelve cases were brought before the Elgin 

 Sheriff Court, the men charged being the " fishing-masters " of 

 the foreign trawlers, 1 and the only one who appeared was fined 

 fifty pounds for each of three offences, or fifteen days' imprison- 

 ment. A little later, on 17th April, fifteen fishing-masters of 

 foreign trawlers, one of which was Swedish, all British subjects 

 belonging to Grimsby, were charged in the same court for 

 trawling within the Moray Firth outside the ordinary limits, 

 and on conviction small fines were imposed. Similar cases 

 were brought against eleven men in July, who were charged 

 with twenty-eight offences committed between 2nd March and 

 24th June, and still smaller penalties were imposed. 2 



Considerable discussion was evoked by the various occur- 

 rences above referred to. Resolutions were passed at various 

 meetings of fishermen in Scotland in favour of the byelaw being 

 strictly enforced, and asking that an international arrange- 

 ment should be come to if necessary to enable that to be done. 

 At meetings of trawl -owners, on the other hand, held at 

 Grimsby and elsewhere, resolutions to the opposite effect were 

 agreed to, and the Government were requested to maintain the 

 "three-mile international territorial limits as now defined." 

 In the Houses of Parliament also numerous questions were put 

 to Ministers on the subject, and there were several debates of 

 a more or less formal kind. It appears that the Foreign Office 

 had come to the conclusion that the Act of Parliament as inter- 

 preted by the High Court of Justiciary was in conflict with 

 international law ; 3 and that view having been taken, it was 

 obvious that it would be necessary, if the statute was to have 



1 In these Norwegian vessels there were a " flag-master " and a " fishing-master," 

 the former, nominally in charge of the vessel, being a Norwegian in order to com- 

 ply with the registration laws, but often, or usually, occupying a humble position, 

 such as cook. The " fishing-master " had the real control and occupied the master's 

 rooms on board. He, like all or most of the crew, was English, resident at Grimsby. 



2 In April the penalties ranged from 10 to 2, 10s., or two to ten days' imprison- 

 ment ; in July they ranged from 1 or one day to 45 or fourteen days ; three 

 cases were dismissed, one was found not proven, and in five the verdict was not 

 guilty ; four cases were appealed to the High Court by the Procurator- Fiscal and 

 the appeal sustained. Twenty-Sixth Ann. Rtp. Fishery Board for .Scof. , Part I., 

 App. L., II. 



3 Hansard, vol. 170, p. 472. 



