Agreement Regarding The Regulation Of Plaice (" Pleuronectes Platessa ") And Flounder (" Pleuronectes Flesus") Fishing In The Baltic Sea.
Source: LNTS vol. CXV (115), pp. 93 (107).
DENMARK, THE FREE CITY OF DANZIG, GERMANY, POLAND and SWEDEN, being desirous of
taking measures to prevent the great decrease in catches of fish in the Baltic Sea, have decided to conclude an Agreement, and for that purpose have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries:
His Majesty THE KING OF DENMARK AND ICELAND:
M. Herluf ZAHLE, Chamberlain to His Majesty and His Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary;
THE PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN REICH:
Herr Walter DE HAAS, Ministerial Director at the Foreign Office;
THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND, ALSO ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE FREE CITY OF DANZIG:
Professor Michael SIEDLECKI, Delegate of the Polish Government to the International Council for Marine Exploration;
His Majesjy THE KING OF SWEDEN:
M. Carl Einar Thure AF WIRSÉN, His Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary;
Who, after exchanging their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following provisions:
Article I.
The provisions of the present Agreement shall apply to that part of the Baltic which is bounded on the west by the German coast, on the south by the German, Polish and Danzig coasts, on the east by the line Gorman-Lithuanian frontier-Utlängan and on the north by the Swedish and Danish coasts, and between them by the following lines:
(a) Falsterbo Lighthouse-Stevns Lighthouse,
(b) Skelby Church-Flinthorne Odde,
(c) Kappel Church-Gulstav,
(d) Ristingehale-Aeröhale,
(e) Skoldnaes-Pöls Huk,
(f) Sonderburg Pontoon Bridge.
Article 2.
In the area referred to in Article 1, there shall be an annual close season for plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) beginning on February 1st and ending on March 31st.
Article 3.
The Contracting Governments shall prohibit trawl fishing within their territorial waters, except where otherwise provided in the Final Protocol hereto.
Article 4.
In order to preserve the stocks of plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) and flounder (Pleuronectes flesus) the following minimum sizes are laid down:
(I) In that part of the area indicated in Article I which is bounded on the east by the line Gjedser-Ahrenshoop, 24 cm. for plaice and 22 cm. for flounders;
(2) In that part of the area indicated in Article I, which is bounded on the west by the line Gjedser-Ahrenshoop and on the east by the line Utlängan-German-Polish frontier, 21 cm. for plaice and 20 cm. for flounders;
(3) In that part of the area indicated in Article I, which is bounded on the west by the line Utlängan-German-Polish frontier, 18 cm. for plaice and flounders.
Article 5.
During the close season prescribed in Article 2, plaice caught in the area indicated in Article I may not be kept on board or taken away. Similarly plaice and flounders of smaller sizes than the minima prescribed in Article 4 for a part of the area indicated in Article I may not be kept on board or taken away in that part of the area.
During the close season prescribed in Article 2, the landing of plaice caught in the area indicated in Article 1 on the coasts of the Contracting Countries, or the conveyance of such fish to those coasts by ships or ferries, and the sale of such fish in the countries of the Contracting Governments, shall be prohibited.
In the ports and on the coasts of a part of the area mentioned in Article 1 where a minimum size is prescribed, plaice and flounders of smaller sizes may be neither landed nor conveyed thither by ships or ferries nor be sold nor despatched thence.
Article 6.
The Contracting Governments shall take suitable measures to induce their fishermen to throw overboard immediately, taking such precautions as are necessary to preserve them, all plaice and flounders below the minimum sizes and all plaice caught during the close season.
Article 7.
The Contracting Governments agree to enact immediately and to notify to each other such measures as are necessary to ensure the execution of this Agreement.
Article 8.
The present Agreement is drawn up in the Danish, German, Polish and Swedish languages. For purposes of interpretation all four texts shall be equally authentic.
Article 9.
The present Agreement shall be ratified. The instruments of ratification shall be deposited as soon as possible at the Foreign Office at Berlin.
The Agreement shall come into force one month after the deposit of the last instrument of ratification and shall remain in force for three years from that date. If one of the Contracting Governments denounces the Agreement six months before the expiration of that period it shall remain in force for an indefinite period after the expiration of the three years, subject to the proviso that any of the Contracting Governments may denounce it before July 1st of any year, such denunciation to take effect on December 31st of the same year.
In faith whereof the Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Agreement and thereto affixed their seals.
Done at Berlin on December 17, 1929 in a single copy, which shall be filed at the Foreign Office at Berlin and copies of which shall be transmitted to all the contracting States.
For Denmark: (L. S.) Herluf ZAHLE For Danzig: (L. S.) Prof. Dr. Michal SIEDLECKI. For Germany: (L. S.) Walter DE HAAS: For Poland: (L. S.) Prof. Dr. Michal SIEDLECKI. For Sweden: (L. S.) E. AF WIRSÉN.
FINAL PROTOCOL.
On signing on to-day's date the Agreement for the regulation of plaice and flounder fishing in the Baltic, the Plenipotentiaries of the Contracting Governments have agreed upon the following provisions:
Ad Article I.
The provisions of the Agreement shall also apply to the Flensburg Fjord.
Ad Article 3.
The Contracting Governments shall be at liberty to permit trawl fishing within their territorial waters at depths exceeding 20 metres.
The Contracting Governments reserve the right to retain the exceptions to existing prohibitions of trawl fishing hitherto allowed in specified areas within their territorial waters.
(a) Germany will for the present maintain the existing regulations in force outside Eckernförde Bay, in Wismar Bay, on the Mecklenburg coast east of Warnemünde, in the waters of the Stralsund, in Swinemünde Bay and off the East Prussian coast;
(b) Denmark will allow fishing with seine nets (Grundschleppnetze) loaded with weights of less than 20 kg.;
(c) Poland and Danzig reserve the right to allow within their territorial waters trawl fishing from small vessels without motors.
It is agreed that in principle an endeavour shall be made to prohibit all trawl fishing in territorial waters.
Ad Article 9.
It is agreed that the provisions of the present Agreement shall come into force if possible before February 1st, 1930.
The Contracting Governments declare themselves prepared to negotiate after the expiration of a year with a view to ascertaining whether the provisions of the present Agreement may also be made applicable to flounders and dabs (Pleuronectes limanda).
In witness whereof the undersigned have signed the present Protocol, which is drafted in the Danish, German, Polish and Swedish languages, all four texts being equally authentic for purposes of interpretation.
Done at Berlin on December 17, 1929 in a single copy, which shall be filed at the Foreign Office at Berlin and copies of which shall be transmitted to all the Contracting States.
For Denmark: Herluf ZAHLE. For Danzig: Prof. Dr. Michal SIEDLECKI. For Germany: Walter DE HAAS. For Poland: Prof. Dr. Michal SIEDLECKI. For Sweden: E. AF WIRSÉN.
