Third Cod War

November 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the Third Cod War. Not a war fought with bombs or tanks, but a struggle fought in late 1975 and early 1976 at sea over fish, in the cold and stormy waters around Iceland.

In the 1970s, cod was one of the most vital fish in the North Atlantic. For centuries, British ships had fished near Iceland, bringing back enormous catches. But Iceland depended on those same waters for food and its economy. The fish were running low, and Iceland wanted to safeguard its future.

In July 1975, Iceland made a courageous move. It expanded its fishing zone to 200 nautical miles from its coast. That meant British trawlers, who had worked those waters for generations, were now banned unless Iceland gave permission. 

Britain did not accept this. In November 1975, the Royal Navy was sent by the British government to guard British trawlers. The Icelandic Coast Guard attempted to force them out.

The battles were bizarre. There were no guns or missiles. Instead, ships rammed each other. Icelandic patrol boats used cables to cut the nets of British trawlers. Both sides took damage. At one point, Iceland even broke off diplomatic ties with Britain.

The battle was not just about fish. It was also about power, pride, and survival. Iceland threatened to leave NATO and close the US base at Keflavík, which was vital during the Cold War.

That pressure worked. In early 1976, Britain agreed to stay out of the 200-mile zone.

The result was clear: Iceland prevailed. But the cost was high for Britain’s fishing towns. Many jobs were lost, and whole communities were transformed permanently.

“Third Cod War” is an infotainment podcast, meant to inform, educate and entertain its listeners. Though A.I. was used extensively in the final production of this episode, no A.I. was used during the research phase.

 

“Third Cod War” (podcast episode)

• Produced by Pressecentrum for the History Titans podcast channel.
• © 2025 - History Titans - All Rights Reserved.
• Production partner: Fish Break - https://www.fish-break.com
• Download URL: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/5qv3ab4hn5bqi4c8/Third_Cod_War810y3.mp3
• Episode URL: https://historytitans.podbean.com/e/third-cod-war/
• Share URL: https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-grck7-193dc25

 

Sources:

• Wikipedia: “Cod Wars” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cod_Wars
• Hull Fishing Heritage: “The Cod Wars” - https://www.hullfishingheritage.org.uk/the-cod-wars/
• Skemman: “Why Did the Cod Wars Occur and Why Did Iceland Win Them?” - https://skemman.is/bitstream/1946/20916/1/Steinsson%20%282015%29%20-%20Occurence%20and%20Outcomes%20of%20the%20Cod%20Wars.pdf