Iceland and Britain The Cod Wars

1. Iceland and BritainThe Cod Wars Choo Jie Fu (05) Yeo Zheng Hang (21)

2. Geopolitical Background • Britain • Constitutional monarchy • Executive power exercised on behalf of the Queen by PM and other cabinet ministers • Cabinet (including PM) + other ministers = “Her Majesty's Government” • Relies on customs and separate pieces of constitutional law • Monarch is Head of State, holds all executive power • PM is the head of government

3. Geopolitical Background • Iceland • Constitutional republic • Executivebranch consists of • Chief-of-State, the President, elected for four-year term • Head of government, the Prime Minister • The Cabinet, picked by the prime minister and approved by parliament • Scandinavian-type economy • Capitalist • Extensive welfare system • Low unemployment • Remarkably even distribution of income • Geothermal energy is only abundant natural resource • Highly dependent on fishing industry for export earnings • Economy sensitive to fish stocks and prices • Opposed to EU membership, afraid of losing control over fishing resources

4. Causes of Conflict • Iceland depends on its fishing industry more than any other state in the world • Few natural resources, little agricultural potential, no mining interests • Fish and fish products account for 89.71% of Iceland's total export in each year during the period 1881-1976

5. Causes of Conflict • Ensure survival of fish in the area • Faroe Islands, Belgium, West Germany, and especially Great Britain, were causing an over-exploitation of the fish stocks around Iceland • Cod population decreased, catch reduced • Fear that cod may end up like population of herring, which declined from 8.5 million in 1958, to almost nothing in 1970 • Iceland wanted to regulate fishing in the area, most ideas and propositions were ignored • Iceland decided to take matters into its own hands, extending the fishing limit gradually, until it hit 200miles after the third cod war

6. Causes of Conflict • Only Britain opposed this fishing limit, as shown by the 3 cod wars • Britain did no believe over-fishing was the cause, nor would the limit solve the problem • Britain felt that Iceland had no right to enforce these limits on its own

7. Summary of Conflict • First Cod War (1958) • Iceland extended its fishing limits • From 4 nautical miles (7 km) • To 12 miles (19 km) off Iceland's coast • Further excluded British trawlers from rich fishing grounds • Meeting of NATO foreign ministers • British and Icelandic representatives refused to change their respective positions

8. Summary of Conflict • First Cod War (1958) • Britain dared not attack Iceland • US-Icelandic agreement – US responsible for Iceland’s defence • Sent the Royal Navy to the disputed waters • Protect British trawlers from harassment by Icelandic gunboats • Iceland declared that both Iceland’s membership in NATO and the American presence on the island was under threat • Paul-Henri Spaak, NATO’s secretary general was angry at this “blackmail on the part of small countries”

9. Summary of Conflict • First Cod War (1958) • Sir Patrick Reilly (British diplomat who negotiated the settlement) • “We were dealing with skillful and at times unscrupulous negotiators, who made good use of what was in fact political blackmail. . . . If we resumed naval protection, this [Icelandic] government would call for American support, which would be refused. They would then turn to the Russians, would leave NATO, denounce their Defence Agreement with the U.S. and demand the removal of the American Base, all of which would be a very severe setback for the West.” • Britain forced to accept limit

10. Summary of Conflict • Second Cod War (1972 to 1973) • Iceland extended its limits to 50 miles (80 km) • Iceland threatenedto fight Britain to the end • Henry Kissinger (national security adviser in the Richard Nixon administration) • Admired the “turbulent tiny country threatening to make war against a nation 250 times its size and to leave NATO (without which it would be defenseless).” • Agreement between the 2 countries • Bound British fishing to certain areas inside the 50 mile (80 km) limit • British trawlers’ annual catch limited to ≤ 130,000 tons • Agreement expired in November, 1975 • Led to Third Cod War

11. Summary of Conflict • Third Cod War (1975) • Iceland declared that ocean up to 200 miles (370 km) from its coast fell under Icelandic authority • Britain did not recognize this exclusion zone • British fishermen’s 'incursion' into the disputed zone • British fishing trawlers have their nets cut by the Icelandic Coast Guard • Iceland: 6 Coast Guard vessels and 2 Polish-built stern trawlers (converted into Coast Guard vessels) • To enforce Icelandic control over fishing rights • UK: 22 frigates, 7 supply ships, 9 tug-boats, 3 support ships • To protect its fishing trawlers

12. Summary of Conflict • Third Cod War (1975) • Early 1976: Iceland broke off diplomatic relations with London • Icelandic citizens blocked roads to U.S. radar stations • Looked ready to blow up radar masts unless the “aggression” by Britain, a “supposed” ally in NATO, immediately ceased

13. Effects of Conflict • USA offered to mediate • NATO intercession helped to end the conflict • June 2 1976 • Maximum of 24 British trawlers allowed inside the 200-mile limit • Annual cod catch limited to 50,000 tons

14. Effects of Conflict – UK • unemployment for 1,500 fishermen & 7,500 onshore workers • livelihoods were destroyed • devastating effect on thousands of Scottish fishermen who had used the waters • fishing families in the north east of Scotland were affected

15. Effects of Conflict – UK • Compensation from UK government • Anybody who had continued fishing after 1979 was denied compensation • Later decided to be unjust, as many were unable to find full time jobs • Discrimination between payments to employers and workers

16. Effects of Conflict – UK • 1970s • Trawler owners entitled to compensation • Part time and casual workers not entitled • Fishermen (considered “casuals” by government) who worked on the boats were also not entitled

17. Effects of Conflict – UK • 1993 to 1995 • £14m in ex-gratia payments made to 8,000 former fishermen, including some trawlermen • 2000 • Fishermen could receive up to £20,000 • If they proved that they had suffered during the Cod Wars • Criticised for discriminating against genuine claimants

18. Effects of Conflict – UK • July 2001 • appeal made at Westminster • MPs asked Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt to speed up compensation • October 2001 • 1300 trawlermen receive a total of £190m from government • Extended to help people who continued fishing outside the Icelandic exclusion zone • Qualifiers: 50 to 80 years of age • Receive up to £20,000 each • Those who received ex-gratia payment would have it deducted from current extra compensation

19. Effects of Conflict - Iceland • Greatly benefited from the wars • 200 mile fishing limit • Iceland’s relations with its Western allies eased • UK • USA

20. In Summary… • Cause of Conflict • Scarcity of resource (cod) • Own benefit • Summary of Conflict • 3 Cod Wars in total • Iceland repeatedly extended limits • Britain refused to accept the limits • Tension between Iceland and Western allies • Effects of Conflict • Britain accepted Iceland’s limits • Livelihood of British fishermen destroyed • For the sake of bilateral relationship • British government had to compensate fishermen • Iceland, on the other hand, benefited greatly from it

21. Bibliography • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cod_War • http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4285498-105193,00.html • http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/scotland/1444487.stm • http://www.bbc.co.uk/nationonfilm/topics/fishing/background_decline.shtml • http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/ice/ice-national-history.htm • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_the_United_Kingdom • http://www.nwc.navy.mil/press/Review/2004/SummerAutumn/art8-sa04.htm

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