Saga - 1980, Blaðsíða 123

FISKVEIÐIDEILA ÍSLENDINGA OG BRETA
113
exclusive rights to fish within the liniits of bays and fjords, parti-
cularly in Faxa Bay, where the largest part of the trawlers opera-
^ed, causing incredible damage to the nets and lines of Icelandic
fishermen,and hence their livelihood. On the other hand the chief
concern of the British government was to obtain modifications of
article 3 of the Icelandic law against trawling issued in 1894. This
specific article limited the rights of foreign trawlers to sail within
territorial waters and to enter Icelandic ports.
The main conclusions of the research can be summarized as
follows:
(1)
(2)
(8)
<4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
Fishermen on the southern coast of Faxa Bay signed a petition
addressed to the “English nation”. In the petition, which was
published in the Times 13 April 1897, the fishermen appealed to
the humanity of the English nation in order to win public s.up-
Port for their cause in Britain.
It appears that from the autumn of 1896 until early February
1897, the British government was ready to negotiate a long-term
settlement based on the agreement made by the Governor of
Iceland and Commodore Atkinson in 1896.
The Board of Trade and British Law Officers did not agree
whether or not the Icelandic law against trawling was justifi-
able although both parties agreed that it ran counter to inter-
uational law.
The Danish government took the initiative and offered Britain
a long-term settlement, which the British government refused
to consider, unless British trawlers were allowed to fish within 3
miles from the south-eastern coast of Iceland. This position was
taken after consulting trawler owners.
British trawler owners called for a naval squadron to be sent
to Iceland during the fishing season of 1897. Trawler owners
furthermore had great influence on the policy of the British
Bovernment during the dispute.
■A-tkinson was given the authority to engage in a new agreement
With the govemor of Iceland, when it appeared certain that
Hritain could not negotiate a settlement with Denmark which
" ould take into account the interests of British trawler owners.
offering basis for settlement to the Governor, an attempt
was made to bypass the government in Copenhagen.
Commodore Atkinson had great influence on the Alþing while it
debated a bill calling for the modification of the law issued in
1894. It is clear that Icelandic M. P.s overestimated Atkinson’s
mfluence on the policy of the British government. It is also
8