SCIENCE AND THE SEA 



that they may be enabled to obey the notice thus given, and 

 no obstacle shall be placed in the way of their operations 

 during such period. 



The operations of telegraph ships shall be finished as 

 speedily as possible. 



ARTICLE VI. 



Vessels that see or are able to see buoys designed to 

 show the position of cables when the latter are being laid, 

 are out of order, or are broken, shall keep at a distance of 

 one quarter of a nautical mile at least from such buoys. 



Fishing nets and gear shall be kept at the same distance. 



ARTICLE VII. 



Owners of ships or vessels who can prove that they have 

 sacrificed an anchor, a net, or any other implement used in 

 fishing, in order to avoid injuring a submarine cable, shall 

 be indemnified by the owner of the cable. 



In order to be entitled to such indemnity, one must pre- 

 pare, whenever possible, immediately after the accident, in 

 proof thereof, a statement supported by the testimony of 

 the men belonging to the crew; and the captain of the ves- 

 sel must, within twenty-four hours after arriving at the first 

 port of temporary entry, make his declaration to the com- 

 petent authorities. The latter shall give notice thereof to 

 the consular authorities of the nation to which the owner of 

 the cable belongs. 



ARTICLE VIII. 

 The courts competent to take cognizance of infractions 

 of this convention shall be those of the country to which the 

 vessel on board of which the infraction has been committed 

 belongs. 



It is, moreover, understood that in cases in which the 

 provisions contained in the foregoing paragraph cannot be 

 carried out, the repression of violations of this Convention 

 shall take place, in each of the contracting States, in the 

 ease of its subjects or citizens, in accordance with the general 

 rules of Penal competents established by the special laws of 

 those States, or by international treaties. 



ARTICLE IX. 

 Prosecutions on account of the infractions contempla- 

 ted in Articles II., V. and VI. of this Convention shall be 

 instituted by the State or in its name. 



ARTICLE X. 



Evidence of violations of this Convention may be ob- 

 tained by all methods of securing proof that are allowed by 

 the laws of the country of the court before which a case has 

 been brought. 



When the officers commanding the vessels of war or the 

 vessels specially commissioned for that purpose, of one of 

 the High Contracting Parties, shall have reason to believe 

 that an infraction of the measures provided for by this Con- 

 vention has been committed by a vessel other than a vessel 

 of war, they may require the captain or master to exhibit 

 the official documents furnishing evidence of the nation- 

 ality of the said vessel. Summary mention of such exhibi- 

 tion shall at once be made on the documents exhibited. 



Reports may, moreover, be prepared by the said offi- 

 cers, whatever may be the nationality of the inculpated ves- 

 sel. These reports shall be drawn up in the form and in the 

 language in use in the country to which the officer drawing 

 them up belongs; they may be used as evidence in the 

 country in which they shall be invoked, and according to 

 the laws of such country. The accused parties and the wit- 

 nesses shall have the right to add or cause to be added there- 

 to, in their own language, any explanations that they may 

 deem proper; these declarations shall be duly signed. 



ARTICLE XI. 



Proceedings and trial in cases of infractions of the pro- 

 visions of this Convention shall always take place as sum- 

 marily as the laws and regulations in force will permit. 



ARTICLE XII. 



The High Contracting Parties engaged to take or to 

 propose to their respective legislative bodies the measures 

 necessary in order to secure the execution of this Conven- 



The otter trawl- 



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