News that Royal Navy ships may be deployed has parallels with dispute that lasted from 1950s to 1970s
News that four Royal Navy patrol ships will be ready from 1 January to help protect UK fishing waters in the event of a no-deal Brexit has evoked memories of the “cod wars” – a battle over fishing grounds off Iceland that lasted almost 20 years until it was resolved in the mid-1970s.
The first cod war, a phrase coined by Fleet Street, began in September 1958, when Iceland, concerned about overfishing and its impact on a cornerstone of its economy, extended its fishing limit from four to 12 nautical miles from its coast.
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