Ocean as Food Stores

The Sea has always been an important source of food for humans.

Stone Age cave paintings dating back to the Palaeolithic period and remains of fish bones and mollusc shells, found in large quantities from that period, suggest a strong reliance on the sea for survival. Archaeological investigations have also unearthed fishing materials such as spears, hooks and fish nets from the Palaeolithic period. Hooks and spears were generally made from bones, shells, plant thorns and the upper bills of eagles. Fishing lines were made from leaves, plant stalks or cocoon silk.

The history of fish trading dates back   more than a thousand years to the Viking period in Norway where the trading of cod began and later spread to countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy. Fish trading in these areas remains strong today. However, fishing practices have transformed dramatically since the traditional, artisan fishing style noted for its regionalisation and seasonality.   Today, the fishing trade is a world-wide, billion dollar industry for which large scale fishing is conducted in response to a high demand for fish and fish products.