[A1630/7/53]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The which day, the committee nominated by the estates for the fishing reported to the public meeting that they having met and conferred upon the articles and instructions sent down by his majesty concerning the fishing, they found the association with England to be very inconvenient to the estate. And touching the land fishing, which consists in fishing within lochs and isles and 28 miles from the land coast and which is proper to the natives and whereof they have been in continual possession and never interrupted therein by the Hollanders, the burghs were able and, accordingly, were content to undertake the said land fishing by themselves without communicating therein with any other nation, providing they be allowed to set down their plantations in commodious and opportune places for following out of the fishing. And concerning the bush fishing, that the season thereof for this year was already spent, and the matter being of great importance required a competent time to be advised therewith.
It being demanded if Englishmen being permitted by his majesty to fish in the lochs might bring their fishes to free ports and sell them to the lieges, it was answered that they may not by the laws of the kingdom.