Change in Atlantic cod migrations and adaptability of early land-based fishers to severe climate variation in the North Atlantic

ABSTRACT We use biochemical, biological, archaeological, and historical analysis to examine relationships between Atlantic cod migration, sea temperature, and shifts in the distribution and occupancy of historical fishing sites in Iceland during the last millennium. Results support the hypothesis th...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Quaternary Research
Main Authors: Edvardsson, Ragnar, Patterson, William P., Bárðarson, Hlynur, Timsic, Sandra, Ólafsdóttir, Guðbjörg Ásta
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/qua.2018.147
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033589418001473
Description
Summary:ABSTRACT We use biochemical, biological, archaeological, and historical analysis to examine relationships between Atlantic cod migration, sea temperature, and shifts in the distribution and occupancy of historical fishing sites in Iceland during the last millennium. Results support the hypothesis that the cooling climate of the North Atlantic during the period commonly referred to as the Little Ice Age coincided with changes in Atlantic cod migration patterns. Historical analysis shows a concomitant increase in reports of worsening Atlantic cod fishing and a severe decrease in domestic fishing, particularly in north Iceland. We conclude that Atlantic cod fisheries in Iceland originally thrived because of the proximity to cod migration routes. However, despite the mobility of local fishers, fluctuations in fish migrations, coupled with a harsher climate and increased competition for fishing grounds, resulted in a stagnation that lasted until the eventual modernization of the fishery in the mid-nineteenth century.