The Norwegian Fishing Sector During the German Occupation: Continuity or Change?

At the time when German troops occupied Norway in April 1940, the fishing sector had experienced two decades of serious economic turmoil. The problems had started already at the end of the First World War. From a situation with growing prices and high demand for Norwegian fish products from both Great Britain and Germany during the war, the 1920s and 1930s represented a period of almost constant crisis in the fishing industry, due to both internal and external causes. In the late 1930s, however, the outlook was a little better. This chapter investigates the changes in the fishing sector during the Second World War from a change and continuity perspective. Most emphasis is put on the on the cod fisheries in North Norway, because this region experienced the most profound changes. The three research questions relate to intention and impact of German intervention. Firstly, what were the main goals of the German authorities for the Norwegian fishing resources? Secondly, what kind of changes did the war conditions lead to regarding catch volumes, processing and production, fish prices, and labor? The third question deals with the economic and institutional changes in the sector after five years of German occupation, and whether these changes point backwards to the mid-war period or forwards to the era of modernization after 1945. However, to put this story in its correct context, it is necessary to briefly look at the period prior to the German attack.