1 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: Happy Saturday, everybody. I am Tracy V. Wilson and I'm 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: Holly Fry. An interesting headline caught my eye this week. 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: It was that the Icelandic Coastguard vessel a Year is 4 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: being sold after fifty years of service. It's being sold 5 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:19,240 Speaker 1: because it has fallen into disuse over the last couple 6 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: of years. And this headline caught my eye not just 7 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: because I've been really, really nostalgic for a trip I 8 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: took to Iceland a few years back, but also because 9 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: this vessel played a major part in the Cod Wars, 10 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 1: which took place between Iceland and the UK. Our previous 11 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,239 Speaker 1: episode on the Cod Wars came out on October and 12 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 1: this news gave us a good excuse to put it 13 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: right back into everybody's feeds. So enjoy. Welcome to Stuff 14 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: you missed in History Class. A production of I Heart 15 00:00:51,320 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: Radio Hello and Welcome to the Pod asked I'm Tracy B. 16 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: Wilson and I'm Holly Frying. When I was in Iceland 17 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: back in the spring, I learned a very tiny bit 18 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 1: about the Cod Wars. Uh. Long time listeners to the 19 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: show will probably notice some similarities between the thing that 20 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: we're going to talk about today and the Chesapeake Bay 21 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,559 Speaker 1: Oyster Wars, which we talked about back in But while 22 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: the Chesapeake Bay conflict was mostly confined to the states 23 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: of Virginia and Maryland, the Cod Wars were an international 24 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,320 Speaker 1: dispute that wound up having a lot more long lasting 25 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: ramifications in both the United Kingdom and in Iceland. So 26 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: after I got home from the Strip where I learned 27 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 1: that the Cod Wars had happened, I put them on 28 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: the potential episode list, and then all of a sudden, 29 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: over the last week or so, multiple other people, sort 30 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: of apropos of nothing, said hey, would you talk about 31 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: the Cod Wars um and that included most recently Gemma 32 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: and Steve. So I thought, okay, I guess I'll put 33 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 1: cod Wars at the top of the list. Have been 34 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: kind of languishing there, and now we're gonna do it. 35 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: I do want to be clear that this is definitely 36 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: not the only fishing dispute that has ever happened in 37 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: these particular waters, but it's definitely one of the most famous. 38 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: Uh and in some ways it's the weirdest and the 39 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: most comical, even though it was not actually funny to 40 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:24,639 Speaker 1: the people it was happening to like it sounds funny, 41 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: but a lot of people's livelihoods were deeply at stake 42 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 1: in the middle of this thing. That sounds sort of comedic. 43 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 1: So to give you the setup, Iceland and the United 44 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: Kingdom are two relatively small island nations. The UK is 45 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: a little more than nine thousand square miles and Iceland 46 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: is a little less than forty thousand square miles. That's 47 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 1: about two hundred forty three thousand square kilometers and one 48 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:56,119 Speaker 1: hundred three thousand square kilometers respectively. The UK, however, has 49 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,679 Speaker 1: much more habitable land than Iceland does. The middle of 50 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 1: ice Land is mountainous, and it's covered in glaciers and 51 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: also in many places volcanic, so nearly all of its 52 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: population lives relatively close to the coast. It is completely 53 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 1: unsurprising that two relatively small island nations, one of which 54 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: is only really habitable along the coastline, have historically relied 55 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: on fishing, both as an industry and for the nation's cuisine. 56 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: As we discussed in our podcast about the volcanic eruption 57 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: on the island of Hamming, fishing is critically important to 58 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: Iceland's economy today. The fishing industry and Iceland employees about 59 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: eleven thousand people, which is a little more than four 60 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: percent of Iceland's total workforce, and the fishing industry directly 61 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: contributes to about eleven percent of Iceland of the icelandic 62 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: GDP and indirectly a full quarter of Iceland's GDP. About 63 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: fort of Iceland's export earnings come from fish today, with 64 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: cod being a primary export, and before the nineteen seventies 65 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: almost of Iceland's exports were fish. Meanwhile, Britain's fishing industry 66 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: employs a little under twelve thousand fishers today, so about 67 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: the same size as Iceland's industry, but because the UK's 68 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,359 Speaker 1: population and economy are so much larger, it's really a 69 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,839 Speaker 1: much smaller proportion of the UK economy as a whole. 70 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: The UK has a population of sixty four million compared 71 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: to three hundred and twenty three thousand in Iceland. Marine 72 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:36,840 Speaker 1: fishing is about zero point oh five percent of the 73 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: British GDP, and all forms of fishing together make up 74 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: about zero point zero seven percent of the British GDP. 75 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 1: Prior to the nineteen fifties, though fishing was a much 76 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: bigger part of the British economy, especially in fishing ports 77 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: cities like Hull, Gramsby and Fleetwood. In these ports, fishing 78 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,919 Speaker 1: trawlers were the prime arey employer and most of the 79 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: fishing fleet that sailed from these ports did what's known 80 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: as distant water fishing, so boats would leave these ports 81 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: in Britain and they would travel hundreds of miles to 82 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: fish in the waters around Iceland. In addition to catching 83 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: a lot of cod, Britain eight and continues to eat, 84 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: for that matter, a lot of cod. In the nineteen 85 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: fifties and nineteen sixties, four d and thirty thousand tons 86 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: of cod were being eaten in Britain annually, overwhelmingly in 87 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 1: the form of fish and chips. Britain continues to eat 88 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: more cod than anywhere else in the world, a third 89 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: of the cod in the world, and of the cod 90 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 1: caught in European waters. So yeah, the Iceland and Britain 91 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: were united by the fact that there's lots of cod 92 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 1: around Iceland and Brittain was eating almost all of it, 93 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: almost all the cod because fish and chips, I mean, 94 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: it's it's delicious and also kind of astounding just how 95 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 1: much was being eaten. Another important piece of background information, 96 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: and all of this story has to do with the 97 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,599 Speaker 1: idea of international waters and how nations get to decide 98 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: which parts of the ocean are There's the idea that 99 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,359 Speaker 1: a nation with the coastline has rights to a certain 100 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: amount of the ocean around it. Has existed for centuries, 101 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:27,559 Speaker 1: and a nation's territorial waters extend a certain distance past 102 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: its coast and then beyond that our international waters. Starting 103 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: in the seventeen hundreds in Europe and the America's, a 104 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: nation's territorial waters typically extended about three miles past the coastline, 105 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: although there were definitely exceptions, with nations claiming more or less. 106 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:51,839 Speaker 1: Prior to its independence in nineteen four, Iceland was a 107 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: part of Denmark, and according to the Anglo Danish Territorial 108 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 1: Waters Agreement, it, like so many other nations, followed that 109 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,159 Speaker 1: three mile limit. That agreement was set to expire in 110 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty one, But when Iceland became independent from Denmark, 111 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,039 Speaker 1: it got to work setting its own terms for where 112 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: other nations could fish immediately. Iceland had two primary motivations 113 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: for reevaluating its fishing boundaries. One was that fishing was 114 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:23,119 Speaker 1: so enormously critical to its own economy that it wanted 115 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: to make sure its own fishing fleet had the greatest advantage. 116 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: Iceland sort of viewed this situation as a zero sum game. 117 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 1: Other nations that were taking fish out of the waters 118 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: around Iceland were taking them from Iceland because Iceland had 119 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 1: so few other industries or national or natural resources to 120 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: add to its economy. The other was that Iceland was 121 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 1: becoming increasingly concerned about the health of the fish stocks 122 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: around it and the threat of overfishing, so banning other 123 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 1: nations from fishing closer to its shores was a way 124 00:07:55,720 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: to try to keep Icelandic fishers fishing while ideal lowering 125 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: the risk of depleting those fish populations. As a result, 126 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: on May fifteenth, nineteen fifty two, Iceland extended the line 127 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: from three miles to four And this wasn't the first 128 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: push of its territorial water since becoming independent, but it 129 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: was the first extension that affected a part of the 130 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: sea that Britain had been using for its fishing. Yes, 131 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: some of the prior extension was more to the north, 132 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 1: which was not as much of a British fishing ground. 133 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: Britain was not happy about this change. There was more 134 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: shelter available in bad weather three miles out compared to 135 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 1: four miles out. And then, of course there was just 136 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: the principle of the thing. Britain's who had been making 137 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: their livelihoods through fishing for generations and who lived in 138 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: port cities where fishing was the biggest industry were basically 139 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: being shut out of a strip of the sea that 140 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,959 Speaker 1: they'd historically had access to. When Iceland said its new 141 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 1: line at four miles, flags flew at half mast in 142 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 1: British distant water fishing ports. The Grimsby Evening Telegraph called 143 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: it black Thursday. In spite of this new law, the 144 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 1: four mile zone around Iceland did not make that big 145 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: of a difference to British distant distant water fishing boats. 146 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 1: A lot of them had already been crossing the three 147 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: mile line when fish were scarce beyond it. A number 148 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:25,080 Speaker 1: of captains and owners also thought that the fine that 149 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: came with crossing that four mile line was worth the 150 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:31,439 Speaker 1: risk if it meant better fishing on the other side 151 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 1: of the line. All in all, even though there was 152 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: a bit of cat and mouse darting around the line, 153 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:40,680 Speaker 1: British captains and crews surrendered when they realized they were 154 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: caught in ICELANDIC Coastguard personnel were always honest and faring 155 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: court cases over illegal fishing. Aside from some tomfoolery, people 156 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 1: on both sides of this dispute were generally respectful and 157 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: professional about it. Yeah, and in spite of all the 158 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 1: like the flying the flags that half mast and the 159 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: s ring back and forth across the line where people 160 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: weren't really supposed to be like, you know, when the 161 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: coast Guard showed up and was like, you're not supposed 162 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: to be here, they would have been like, yeah, you're 163 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: you gottess. The UK also took the very reasonable course 164 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: of action of taking their dispute with Iceland before the 165 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 1: International Court of Justice. When Iceland's four mile limit was upheld, 166 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: Britain responded by banning Icelandic fishing vessels from landing their 167 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 1: fish in Britain. Since Britain, as we said earlier, was 168 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: buying most of Iceland's cod, and I mean British British 169 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 1: cod catches were not nearly enough to keep the nation 170 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: supplied in fish and chips. This basically was an economic 171 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 1: sanction sanction against Iceland, but Iceland did not back down 172 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: and this was only the first of several times that 173 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:54,079 Speaker 1: Iceland would move its fishing boundary, and we're going to 174 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: talk about where things stopped being so sort of cordial 175 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: and respectful and started to really get ugly. After we 176 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:17,559 Speaker 1: have a brief sponsor break. In ninety eight, the international 177 00:11:17,559 --> 00:11:21,320 Speaker 1: community participated in the first International Conference on the Law 178 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: of the Sea. The u n's International Law Commission had 179 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 1: been discussing and evaluating maritime international law for nearly a decade, 180 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 1: but this was the first conference that was specifically devoted 181 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: to international maritime law. Eighties six states participated in this conference. Fishing, 182 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:43,559 Speaker 1: we should point out, was certainly not the only thing 183 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 1: being discussed at the conference. Resolutions were adopted regarding nuclear tests, 184 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: radioactive pollution of the oceans, and conservation, and various smaller 185 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: nations suggested a major expansion of the commonly used three 186 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:01,560 Speaker 1: mile limit between international and territorial waters. The new proposed 187 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: limit a twelve mile economic exclusion zone around a nation's coast. 188 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 1: Most larger nations resisted this idea for reasons ranging from 189 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:15,359 Speaker 1: economic unfairness to concerns that their navies could not effectively 190 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: maneuver or patrol with that much of the sea off limits. However, 191 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 1: when Iceland then expanded its exclusionary zone to twelve miles, 192 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: and part of its argument was that that twelve miles 193 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 1: was eventually going to be international law anyway. And while 194 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 1: that previous move from three miles to four miles had 195 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: been met with flags at half masted in Britain's port towns, 196 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: the jump to twelve miles was genuinely alarming. The zone 197 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: between four and twelve miles from Iceland's coast was prime 198 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 1: fishing territory for Britain's distant water fishing fleet. Shutting Britain 199 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: out of twelve miles around Iceland had the potential to 200 00:12:55,120 --> 00:13:00,160 Speaker 1: completely disrupt the fishing industry. Aside from really genuine win 201 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: concerns about the British economy, especially in these sports cities, 202 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: Britain was also really frustrated on principle. I understand this. 203 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: I'm a person who gets colossally frustrated on principle, as 204 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 1: had been the case with that four mile line. The 205 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: twelve mile line was cutting Brittain out of waters that 206 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,440 Speaker 1: it had historically had access to and felt entitled to. 207 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 1: And then there was an emotional way to all of it, 208 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 1: and the cities that were home to Britain's distant water 209 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:32,160 Speaker 1: fishing fleets. Fishing was really at the heart of the 210 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:36,480 Speaker 1: community and of people's identities. So pushing out distant water 211 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 1: fishing felt like it was stripping people of their way 212 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: of life and of something that they felt like was 213 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: a core part of who they were. Also, there's the 214 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:50,320 Speaker 1: whole fish and chip thing again, which is also part 215 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: of like the identity issue. Yes, Like in the United States, 216 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: fish and chips and a lot of places they're just 217 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: like they're just sort of stand pub food, right, But 218 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 1: in the fifties and sixties and Britain, fish and chips 219 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: was really a working class staple, and like chippies were 220 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 1: places that that sold fish and chips, and like there's 221 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: a whole cultural layer to the existence in the consumption 222 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: of of fish and chips that um does not have 223 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 1: the quite the same weight. And most of the United States, 224 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 1: yeah uh, And the UK was not the only nation 225 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 1: affected by this expansion in Iceland's territorial waters. Belgium, West 226 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: Germany and the Faroe Islands were among the other nations 227 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 1: fishing in that same area, But it was the British 228 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 1: fishing fleet that was making the most use of it 229 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 1: among the international community, and it was Britain that became 230 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: the most vocal in wanting continued access to that four 231 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: to twelve mile zone. Those cat and mouse shenanigans that 232 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: had happened at the four mile line kicked up several 233 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: role notches in the four to twelve mile zone around Iceland. 234 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 1: As one might expect, Iceland deployed its Coastguard to try 235 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 1: to enforce the policy, and it allowed officials to board 236 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:16,080 Speaker 1: British ships and arrest their crews for fishing in waters 237 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 1: where they were not supposed to be. In response, Britain 238 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 1: deployed ships from the Royal Navy to protect the trawlers, 239 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: essentially mandating that the trawlers fishing areas where the Royal 240 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: Navy was patrolling, and the trawlers used nets to try 241 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 1: to keep Icelandic inspectors from boarding, as well as springing 242 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 1: boarding parties with hoses and trying to use spears to 243 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:42,920 Speaker 1: puncture the rubber dighis the Coastguard used for boarding. When 244 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: a trawler was boarded, they'd often call in the Royal 245 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: Navy to assist, and on at least one occasion, the 246 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,400 Speaker 1: Royal Navy then refused to let the Icelandic Coast Guard 247 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: officials go back to their own vessel, instead kept them 248 00:15:56,720 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 1: on board as guests in quotation marks of the Crown. 249 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 1: One boarding party was eventually put into a little boat 250 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:06,480 Speaker 1: off the coast of keef Levik and allowed to row 251 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 1: back to shore there. And that's really irritated the people 252 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:13,520 Speaker 1: that were, uh, we're working at the NATO base in 253 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 1: kef Levik, because they were like, what do you mean 254 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: there is a British warship right there that just dropped 255 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 1: you off in the water. Because Iceland had about six 256 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: gun boats compared to the thirty seven Royal Navy ships 257 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 1: that Britain had deployed, Iceland didn't really feel comfortable making 258 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 1: a direct assault on the British force. Instead, Iceland kept 259 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:38,240 Speaker 1: thorough records of the names and numbers of all of 260 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: the British ships that broke the twelve mile limit. I 261 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:43,640 Speaker 1: kind of love fighting it with bureaucracy and I don't 262 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 1: even understand why. Yeah, yeah, this distribute wound up being 263 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: settled with a compromise in nineteen sixty one. Britain ultimately 264 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: agreed to respect the twelve mile limit and exchange for 265 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 1: a three year period to phase out the distant water 266 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:04,959 Speaker 1: fishing in the twelve mile zone. Once this agreement was reached, 267 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 1: Iceland destroyed all those records of who all had been 268 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:10,879 Speaker 1: illegally fishing in the twelve mile zone, which I also 269 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:15,159 Speaker 1: am kind of charmed by. Yes, it's like this is 270 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:17,639 Speaker 1: going on your permanent record. Okay, now we're cool. We 271 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:22,640 Speaker 1: could get rid of that permanent record. Uh. In the agreement, 272 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:26,240 Speaker 1: Iceland also acknowledged that it would continue to consider extending 273 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: the border even further, but would give Britain advanced notice 274 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 1: if this were to happen. Quote, the Icelandic Government will 275 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: continue to work for the implementation of the al Thing 276 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: Resolution of five May nineteen fifty nine regarding the extension 277 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 1: of fisheries jurisdiction around Iceland, but shall give to the 278 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: United Kingdom Government six months notice of such extension, and 279 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 1: in case of a dispute in relation to such extension, 280 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:55,399 Speaker 1: the matter shall, at the request of either party, be 281 00:17:55,520 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 1: referred to the International Court of Justice. Yes, those based 282 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 1: referring to a resolution that had been put out a 283 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: couple of years before about possibly having an even bigger 284 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:10,640 Speaker 1: exclusion zone. And then on July fourteenth of nineteen seventy one, 285 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 1: the government of Iceland released a new policy statement which said, 286 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 1: quote the fisheries agreements with the United Kingdom and the 287 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:21,639 Speaker 1: Federal German Republic I'll be terminated and a resolution be 288 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:25,360 Speaker 1: made about an extension of fishery limit up to fifty 289 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:29,240 Speaker 1: nautical miles from the baselines, effective not later than one 290 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 1: September ninety two. So at this point we've gone from 291 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:37,400 Speaker 1: three miles to four miles, to twelve miles to fifty miles. Yeah, 292 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 1: it's a big jump. I can imagine if you are 293 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 1: part of the fishing industry, the knee jerk reaction could 294 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,480 Speaker 1: be irate at that point. Uh, And that would explain 295 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:50,159 Speaker 1: why this is where things got really really heated between 296 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: the UK and Iceland. The United Kingdom once again took 297 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 1: its dispute to the International Court of Justice in the Hague, 298 00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:00,040 Speaker 1: which found in Britain's favor, but Iceland argued that the 299 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 1: court did not have jurisdiction. Iceland was at this point 300 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 1: incredibly frustrated and alarmed over the condition of its fishing stocks. 301 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:14,439 Speaker 1: Stocks of the icelandic herring had dropped precipitously almost to nothing, 302 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 1: and Iceland was concerned that cod were headed for this 303 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 1: same fate. They had made repeated calls for international discussions 304 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 1: on conservation of fish stocks and sustainable fishing practices, and 305 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:29,080 Speaker 1: none of that had gotten enough attention for Iceland to 306 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:33,120 Speaker 1: really feel secure in the future of of a nation 307 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:36,520 Speaker 1: that was basically dependent on fishing. Like at this point 308 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:39,000 Speaker 1: and even still today in a lot of ways, if 309 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: the if the fishing industry in Iceland is gone, Iceland 310 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 1: as a nation cannot survive. And so even though there 311 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 1: were some nations that were willing to talk about more 312 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:53,639 Speaker 1: conservation oriented fishing practices at this point in the seventies, 313 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: Iceland was like, no, really, we will die as a 314 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 1: nation if we don't look after these fish. And to 315 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 1: make matters worse from the British point of view, also 316 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,680 Speaker 1: in ninety two, the United Kingdom joined the Common Market, 317 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:09,960 Speaker 1: and this was basically an approach by the European Economic 318 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:12,760 Speaker 1: Community that gave all its members equal access to the 319 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 1: territorial waters of all the other members after a grace period. Iceland, 320 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:21,159 Speaker 1: not being a member of the European Economic Community, was 321 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:24,199 Speaker 1: not affected, but the UK was concerned about what it 322 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,439 Speaker 1: would mean for its own fishing industry to give the 323 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: rest of the European economic community access to its fishing 324 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 1: grounds the UK, to the UK fishing fleet, those waters 325 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:39,719 Speaker 1: off the coast of Iceland became even more important. So 326 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 1: the UK once again deployed the Royal Navy to protect 327 00:20:43,119 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 1: its distant water trawlers. And during the previous dispute, the 328 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:49,719 Speaker 1: trawlers were basically supposed to stick with the navy, and 329 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: now they were trying to do it the other way around. 330 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:54,640 Speaker 1: The trawlers would go whether where they needed to fish, 331 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:58,399 Speaker 1: and the Navy would follow them to protect them. In 332 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:02,119 Speaker 1: other words, the UK had decided not to respect that 333 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 1: fifty mile line, and we're going to talk about the 334 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 1: fallout from that a little bit more after we once 335 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 1: again paused for a word from a sponsor. The first 336 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:28,119 Speaker 1: day that British ships made their way across the newly 337 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:31,919 Speaker 1: established fifty mile line around Iceland, they covered up their 338 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: names and numbers on their ships and hoisted pirate flags. 339 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 1: Iceland's coast Guard was mostly amused at this course of action, 340 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 1: because at this point they had been patrolling these waters 341 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: with these British trawlers for years, and they were sort 342 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:49,160 Speaker 1: of like, do you think we really can't recognize your ship? 343 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 1: Without the name on it, like, we know what your 344 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,119 Speaker 1: ship looks like, we know who you are. It's the 345 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 1: clark can't Glasses disguise of the sea. It was absolutely 346 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: the Clark can't glasses to sect the guys of the sea. 347 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:06,159 Speaker 1: And this time around things really did start though, as 348 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:09,159 Speaker 1: much as we're laughing now, they became very serious and 349 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 1: physical between Iceland and the UK. Towards the end of 350 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: the previous dispute, Iceland had developed a trawling net cutter, 351 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 1: and this was essentially a minesweeper modified with a road 352 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:23,119 Speaker 1: grading blade that was dragged through the water behind a 353 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 1: boat so when it hit the high tension trawling wires, 354 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 1: it would cut right through them. This was the part 355 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:32,520 Speaker 1: I learned at a museum in Iceland where I was like, oh, 356 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,920 Speaker 1: the Icelandic Coast Guard was just cutting through trawling nuts. 357 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: That's fascinating. However, the cruise of the British trawlers were 358 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: horrified and alarmed at this invention. The wires of these 359 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 1: trawling nuts, I mean, these are enormous nets that are 360 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: under the water and they fill up with fish. They 361 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: are under a whole lot of tension. So it was 362 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: within the realm of possibility that a wire that had 363 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:02,720 Speaker 1: been cut could re bound and literally cut someone in half. 364 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:07,680 Speaker 1: Iceland insisted that this cutting was happening far enough below 365 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:10,119 Speaker 1: the surface of the water that this was not a risk, 366 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 1: and there wasn't a risk to human life because all 367 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: of this energy that was being dissipated when the wire 368 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 1: was cut basically was was dissipated in the traveling through 369 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 1: the water. Um Even so, even if if there wasn't 370 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 1: a risk, and I think you can argue that either way, 371 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:30,359 Speaker 1: the loss of the trawling net itself, and of the 372 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 1: time and energy that you had put into putting it 373 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 1: together and deploying it, and whatever time you had spent 374 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 1: fishing with it basically meant that people were losing a 375 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 1: lot of work and equipment in this process. The Icelandic 376 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:50,960 Speaker 1: Coastguard was vastly outnumbered. It had six Coastguard vessels plus 377 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:55,119 Speaker 1: two Polish built trawlers retrofitted for the purpose. Britain, on 378 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:57,479 Speaker 1: the other hand, had a total of twenty nine ships 379 00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 1: earmarked for the purpose, was six to nine of them 380 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 1: in Icelandic water at any given time. In addition to 381 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,920 Speaker 1: those frigates were seven supply ships, nine tug boats and 382 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:13,760 Speaker 1: three artillery ships to protect its forty trawlers. Soon, in 383 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: spite of being so heavily outnumbered, Icelandic vessels started intentionally 384 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:24,080 Speaker 1: ramming British Royal Navy ships and trawlers. This actually there 385 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:26,639 Speaker 1: was one collision that did lead to the death of 386 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:31,400 Speaker 1: an Icelandic officer. Britain responded by trying to update its 387 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: trawler fleet by radio about the positions of Iceland's vessels, 388 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:40,199 Speaker 1: So the Icelandic Coastguards started recording Britain's transmissions on the 389 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:43,480 Speaker 1: positions of where the Icelandic vessels were and then replaying 390 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:47,360 Speaker 1: them at a later date to so confusion. When Britain 391 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:50,159 Speaker 1: realized that that was happening, their ships began to spread 392 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 1: the word by radio to disregard the prior message, so 393 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:57,159 Speaker 1: the Icelandic Coast Guard recorded that too to replay it 394 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:01,920 Speaker 1: later on. It's a a ghost arms at that point 395 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 1: where they're doing like these false sounds. Escapes May nine 396 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 1: seventy three and Icelandic ship shelled a British trawler. Also 397 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,600 Speaker 1: in May, Iceland banned British planes from landing at Keflavik 398 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:20,200 Speaker 1: Air Base. That October, the UK and Iceland finally agreed 399 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 1: to limit the number of British ships in icelandic waters, 400 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: limit the size of the catch, and thankfully stop ramming 401 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:32,359 Speaker 1: each other. So this is kind of an uneasy piece 402 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:35,080 Speaker 1: that lasted for a couple of years. But in nineteen 403 00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 1: seventy five, Iceland extended its maritime border again to two 404 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:44,920 Speaker 1: hundred miles, so now we've gone three four twelve fifty 405 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:50,880 Speaker 1: two hundred. Once again, Britain refused to to respect yet 406 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 1: another expansion in the exclusionary zone around Iceland. Negotiating negotiations 407 00:25:56,359 --> 00:26:00,480 Speaker 1: really quickly broke down. Iceland threatened to close the NATO 408 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 1: Basic Kevlovik entirely and to end diplomatic relations with Britain. 409 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:09,719 Speaker 1: The international community became really alarmed. All of these conflicts 410 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:12,200 Speaker 1: were running parallel to the Cold War, and there were 411 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:15,679 Speaker 1: some concerns that Iceland, which was strategically placed between Russia 412 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:19,000 Speaker 1: and North America, might, under all of this pressure and 413 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:23,159 Speaker 1: resistance from Britain, just abandoned its other diplomatic ties in 414 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:28,960 Speaker 1: favor of allying with Russia. Eventually, after numerous rammings and 415 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:32,200 Speaker 1: even some shelling caused damage to ships on both sides 416 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:36,159 Speaker 1: of the conflict, the Secretary General of NATO doctor Joseph 417 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,960 Speaker 1: Lunz had to mediate an agreement between Iceland and the UK, 418 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:44,159 Speaker 1: and that was signed in June of ninety six. It 419 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 1: upheld Iceland's two hundred mile exclusion zone and it specified 420 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 1: that Britain could have a maximum of twenty four trawlers 421 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:55,440 Speaker 1: in that zone at any given time. Conservation zones were 422 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 1: established where no fishing would be allowed. After six months, 423 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:01,680 Speaker 1: there would be no more fishing in the two hundred 424 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:05,200 Speaker 1: mile zone. When those six months were up, Britain's distant 425 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:08,680 Speaker 1: water fishing fleet was effectively put out of business. Trawler 426 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:12,040 Speaker 1: owners were given some restitution for the loss of their businesses, 427 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:16,000 Speaker 1: and the government had reassured the distant water fishing industry 428 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 1: to expect retraining for other work as well as compensation 429 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 1: for basically having been made redundant. However, that support did 430 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:28,960 Speaker 1: not actually materialize in Britain's Fishermen's Association was formed to 431 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:31,720 Speaker 1: start fighting for compensation, and this was a battle that 432 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:35,400 Speaker 1: went on until July of two thousand, when a settlement 433 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 1: of twenty six billion pounds was was earmarked for people 434 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 1: who had been put out of work. As a consequence 435 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:47,800 Speaker 1: of this international agreement, fish stocks began to be depleted anyway, 436 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:51,720 Speaker 1: with Iceland needing to send boats farther afield, which turned 437 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:56,840 Speaker 1: into conflict with other nations as well, particularly Russia and Norway. Yeah, 438 00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:59,400 Speaker 1: there's stocks have rebounded a lot now, but if if 439 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:03,399 Speaker 1: you look at sharts of the fish populations around Iceland, 440 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 1: there's like a decline over the sixties and then a 441 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:11,120 Speaker 1: cliff and then they are very alarmingly low and then 442 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 1: they start to recover. Uh. There's also a documentary. It 443 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:17,919 Speaker 1: was actually an Icelandic documentary, but it aired on the BBC, 444 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:20,639 Speaker 1: and one of the Icelandic officials that was interviewed for 445 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:23,800 Speaker 1: it talked about going to Britain visiting some of these 446 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:26,800 Speaker 1: ports that had been the distant water fishing ports, seeing 447 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 1: all of these decommissioned ships just sort of derelict there 448 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 1: in the port, and it reconfirming for him. Okay, seriously, 449 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 1: we have got to we have got to conserve our 450 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 1: fishing stocks because as a result of our trying to 451 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 1: do that, all of these people were put out of 452 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:46,240 Speaker 1: work and lost their livelihoods um which I like I 453 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:51,000 Speaker 1: thought was an interesting sentiment to come back to you 454 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:53,720 Speaker 1: because at that point it was years after the decisions 455 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:56,320 Speaker 1: had all been made. I like the part with the 456 00:28:56,360 --> 00:29:00,280 Speaker 1: pirate flags, that's my favorite part well, and there's also 457 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,160 Speaker 1: there were things about like the British ships basically throwing 458 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 1: potatoes at people, uh I mean at the at the 459 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 1: Icelandic ships. So this documentary documentary is really super interesting 460 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 1: because you hear from people who were who were on 461 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 1: these ships and we're uh, we're making living, making their 462 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:22,520 Speaker 1: living fishing, and it really does seem like, especially through 463 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 1: the first the first couple of incidents where it moved 464 00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:28,719 Speaker 1: from three miles to four and from four to twelve, 465 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 1: that there was kind of a weird spirit of camaraderie 466 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:38,840 Speaker 1: where where the British, the British fisherman would be like, uh, yeah, 467 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 1: we're gonna do this anyway, and also throw potatoes at you, 468 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:45,320 Speaker 1: and Iceland was like, that's not cool, but we're gonna 469 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 1: totally be fair when we arrest you and take you 470 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 1: to court for your unsanctioned fishing activities. Um. It definitely though, 471 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:59,360 Speaker 1: just just ruined the economy of some particular ports cities. 472 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:02,160 Speaker 1: And then when you look at Britain's fishing industry today, 473 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 1: it is completely different than it was up through nineteen 474 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:09,480 Speaker 1: seventy and also a lot of the fish that used 475 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:12,360 Speaker 1: to be UH used to be fished through distant water 476 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 1: fishing fleets are instead now raised through aquacultures that are 477 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 1: basically farmed instead of UM having this whole international agreement 478 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 1: to send trawlers to other international waters to try to fish. 479 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 1: Yeah show, thanks so much for joining us on this Saturday. 480 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:41,160 Speaker 1: Since this episode is out of the archive, if you 481 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 1: heard an email address or a Facebook U r L 482 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 1: or something similar over the course of the show that 483 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 1: could be obsolete now. 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