The Cod Wars stretched from 1958 to 1976, a series of three major disputes. Iceland first expanded its control from 4 to 12 nautical miles, then to 50, and finally to the now-standard 200-mile exclusive economic zone. Each declaration was met with a 'steely response' from British trawlers and Royal Navy frigates sent to protect them. Icelandic patrol vessels, small and nimble, used net-cutters and even ramming tactics. The conflicts had Cold War implications; NATO feared losing its crucial Icela