'In Cod we trust': Trends in gadoid fisheries in Iceland 1929-1996

Iceland’s fishing resources have played a major role in the economy of fishing nations around the North Sea in the 20th century and before. While the decline in total landings from Icelandic waters started after Iceland expanded its EEZ in 1958, the fishing effort of the Belgian fleet continued to increase until a peak was reached in 1963. Historical data on Belgian commercial fisheries landings and fishing effort include information on vessel class and fishing rectangle. The results document the Belgian gadoid fisheries in Icelandic waters from 1929-1995 and argue that the decline in the Iceland cod stock was visible at different levels before the foreign fleets were excluded from Icelands’ expanded EEZ in 1975; the decrease in the proportional importance of cod in the overall landings, the 75% decrease in the LPUE (1946-1983), the decline in the proportion of ‘large’ fishes, and finally the decline or shift in the definition of a ‘large’ specimen