Cod War

The Cod Wars (also called the Iceland Cod Wars) were a series of confrontations between the United Kingdom and Iceland over Iceland's claims of authority over tracts of ocean off their coastline as being their exclusive fishery zone. The name is probably a pun on the term Cold War, although the disputes did not centre purely around fishing rights on the cod.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - Iceland - Ocean - Pun - Cold War - Cod

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As fish stocks diminished around the world, the scope for confrontation has increased. Throughout the world, examples exist of a nations' fishing fleets committing systematic incursions into fishing areas considered either "protected" or under the jurisdiction of another country.

Related Topics:
Fish - Jurisdiction

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In 1972, Iceland - whose quarter of a million population was at that time almost exclusively dependent on fishing - unilaterally extended its territorial waters before announcing plans to reduce over-fishing. It policed its quota-system with its coast guard, leading to a series of net-cutting incidents with the British trawlers that fished the areas. As a result a fleet of British Royal Naval warships was employed to act as a deterrent against any future harassment of British fishing crews by the much smaller Icelandic craft.

Related Topics:
1972 - Trawler - Royal Naval

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In 1976, a compromise between the two countries allowed a maximum of 24 British trawlers access to the disputed 200 nautical mile (370 km) limit. This did not slow the decline of the British fisheries, severely affecting the economies of northern fishing ports in the UK, such as Grimsby and HullFleetwood.

Related Topics:
1976 - Nautical mile - UK - Grimsby - Hull - Fleetwood.

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