Various nations have fished in the waters surrounding Iceland for
centuries. After World War II, Iceland became concerned that these nations, using
advanced technology, were rapidly depleting valuable fishing resources and Iceland’s
primary livelihood.
In 1959, the parliament–called the Althing–declared that ?Iceland has
an indisputable right to fishery limits of 12 miles (rather than 3), that recognition should
be obtained of Iceland’s right to the entire continental shelf area (about 50 miles) and that
fishery limits of less than 12 miles [when the international norm was a three-mile
territorial sea] from the baselines around the country are out of the question.?