Collectivité

Newfoundland Fishery Arbitration

• North Atlantic Coast Fisheries Arbitration

1905-1912

The North Atlantic Coast Fisheries Arbitration settled an economic dispute between Canada, the United States, and Great Britain over fishing rights. The dispute centered on the interpretation of several treaties granting American citizens special fishing rights in Canadian and Newfoundland waters. The dispute began in 1905 when Newfoundland introduced new regulations which restricted the fishing rights of American citizens and were enacted and enforced without notice to the Americans. The three countries were unable to settle the issue on their own so they agreed to take the case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. On September 7, 1910, the tribunal ruled that while Canada and Newfoundland had sovereignty over the waters in question, the reasonableness of any new regulations must be allowed to be challenged by the United States. All three countries were pleased with the ruling of the tribunal. Using the ruling, the three countries were able to agree to a new treaty, which was signed in 1912. The new treaty stipulated that at the end of the fishing season, Canada was required to notify the Americans of any new fishing regulations for the following season. The United States was given a set number of days to object to these new regulations. If they filed an objection, a commission would decide if the new regulations were reasonable. If the Americans did not object, then the new regulations were presumed to be reasonable and in effect.