Cod Wars
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Search complete. 20 mentions across 13 episodes found for "Cod Wars".
Sep 14, 2026
Gary ArndtHOST
To support their need for fish and chips, they began trawling off the coast of Iceland and taking enormous quantities of Icelandic cod.
Gary ArndtHOST
Iceland resisted during a period known as the Cod Wars from roughly nineteen fifty-eight to nineteen seventy-six.
Gary ArndtHOST
Thankfully, it remained almost entirely bloodless.
Gary ArndtHOST
After failed efforts to convince the British to stop overfishing, Iceland extended its territorial control by moving the limit from three miles offshore to two hundred.
Ben LewisHOST
But at the same time, it has complete control of its fishing waters, If it joined the EU, it is expected that it would have to follow the common fisheries policy and essentially give up some of that exclusive access to other European countries.
Ben LewisHOST
Now, if you take a little step back into history at the moment, there was this thing called the Cod Wars back in the 1970s between Iceland and the UK.
Ben LewisHOST
If you have a look on YouTube, the footage is insane.
Ben LewisHOST
Fishing trawlers bumping into one another, literally fighting at sea for the right to fish in some of these areas.
Ben LewisHOST
But at the same time, it has complete control of its fishing waters, If it joined the EU, it is expected that it would have to follow the common fisheries policy and essentially give up some of that exclusive access to other European countries.
Ben LewisHOST
Now, if you take a little step back into history at the moment, there was this thing called the Cod Wars back in the 1970s between Iceland and the UK.
Ben LewisHOST
If you have a look on YouTube, the footage is insane.
Ben LewisHOST
Fishing trawlers bumping into one another, literally fighting at sea for the right to fish in some of these areas.
Damien GrantHOST
Right, let's talk about COD.
Damien GrantHOST
We are talking about COD wars.
Damien GrantHOST
We are talking about Iceland.
Damien GrantHOST
We are talking about a banking crisis.
Oliver HartwigHOST
Iceland is fiercely independent and proud of its independence.
Oliver HartwigHOST
You mentioned cod earlier.
Oliver HartwigHOST
And Iceland, of course, during the time of the Cold War, Iceland actually fought cod wars, three of them.
Oliver HartwigHOST
I love this.
Iain BurnsHOST
That was one of the big disputes that Britain had with the European Union.
Iain BurnsHOST
And also Britain had with Iceland, if you can remember the Cod Wars won by Iceland.
Jim CsekHOST
Who could forget the Cod Wars?
Iain BurnsHOST
Victory for Iceland.
Iain BurnsHOST
But yeah, the Icelandics have looked at it and they just thought, I mean, we've got this perfect arrangement.
SteliosHOST
And this
LucaHOST
is after three victories in the Cod Wars in the 20th century as well.
LucaHOST
So you don't want to lose those gains.
SteliosHOST
And from what I've seen, and I'm not an expert on Iceland politics, but from what little I researched, the idea is that fishing industry is not only a really important source of wealth for Icelanders, but it's also a national trademark.
David VanceHOST
For generations, Icelanders have been fiercely protective of their waters.
David VanceHOST
I'm sure you remember the Cod Wars that we had back in the 70s and the natural resources within them.
David VanceHOST
Britain should know this better than most.
David VanceHOST
During the 20th century, Iceland repeatedly stood up to Britain over control of Iceland's fishing grounds.
Pat KennyHOST
So they would have to reopen the debate at that point.
Pat KennyHOST
I was curious, though, whether or not the historical cod wars between Britain and Iceland were raised during the debate.
Pat KennyHOST
I mean, there was a cod war.
Pat KennyHOST
The first one, I think, was 1958 or thereabouts, and that was before Britain joined the EU.
Olafur HardarssonGUEST
They were mentioned, but not very much.
Olafur HardarssonGUEST
But, you know, they are still living in Icelandic memory.
Olafur HardarssonGUEST
And you heard on the north side that some people, for instance, people that have been fighting those cod wars, saying that, you know, if we join, if we become full members...
Olafur HardarssonGUEST
We will lose everything that we were fighting for in the Cold War.
Tony ConnollyCORRESPONDENT
There were strong arguments about fisheries, about potential foreign ownership of fishing vessels.
Tony ConnollyCORRESPONDENT
Iceland fought the Cod Wars, as you know, for several decades, and it managed to extend its national... area for fishing rights 200 nautical miles beyond its coast and it defends that situation very jealously.
Tony ConnollyCORRESPONDENT
So that was something that people were talking about in the campaign and ultimately that was what prevailed.
Paul CunninghamHOST
The Icelandic government says it won't revisit this issue but then again that's only as long as its term in office which ends in 2028.
Tony ConnollyCORRESPONDENT
There were strong arguments about fisheries, about potential foreign ownership of fishing vessels.
Tony ConnollyCORRESPONDENT
Iceland fought the Cod Wars, as you know, for several decades, and it managed to extend its national area for fishing rights 200 nautical miles beyond its coast and it defends that situation very jealously.
Tony ConnollyCORRESPONDENT
So that was something that people were talking about in the campaign and ultimately that was what prevailed.
Paul CunninghamHOST
The Icelandic government says it won't revisit this issue but then again that's only as long as its term in office which ends in 2028.
3 more episodes mention Cod Wars.
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