How ‘cod war’ came: the origins of the Anglo-Icelandic fisheries dispute, 1958–61*

Abstract

Abstract This article describes the origins of the first ‘cod war’ between Britain and Iceland in 1958–61. First, it examines the underlying factors which made it very likely that a fishing dispute of some kind would break out between the two countries. Second, it describes the actual events of 1958, when the Icelanders extended their fishing limits to twelve nautical miles and the Royal Navy was sent to protect British trawlers from harassment by Icelandic gunboats. The article is based on archival sources in Britain, Iceland, the United States, Canada, Norway and Denmark.