In the early 1960s, two countries engaged in a tense standoff over fishing rights – with lobsters at the center of the conflict. This peculiar cold war between France and Brazil was dubbed “the lobster wars” and saw both sides flexing their naval muscles. So how did these nations end up on the brink of conflict over a delicious shelled sea creature?
It all started when France granted independence to many of its African colonies in the 1960s. One of these was Mauritania, which happened to be home to a bountiful lobster population off its coasts. France wanted to continue reaping the rewards of this lobster hive, but Mauritania’s newfound independence complicated things. No longer could France simply take the lobsters as they pleased.
Not to be deterred, France turned its sights to Brazil’s coast, which also boasted significant lobster populations. Under the guise of “research”, France sent fishing vessels to harvest lobsters in Brazilian waters. But Brazil soon realized this was no research mission – it was robbery of their natural resources.
Brazil demanded France cease its unauthorized lobster fishing, but the French resisted and even sent warships to escort their fishing boats. Tensions escalated as both sides deployed naval forces to the disputed waters. Brazil’s navy was ill-equipped, fielding outdated ships bought as surplus from the US after WWII. But they attempted to face down the French fleet regardless.
At one point, Brazil conducted flyovers of a French destroyer, buzzing it with aircraft. France responded by conducting live-fire naval exercises as an intimidation tactic. An actual military clash was narrowly avoided, but the risk of escalating into war remained.
Throughout this standoff, French and Brazilian diplomats argued over the legalities of lobster fishing rights. France asserted that because lobsters swim along the seafloor, they counted as fish and were not bound by national territories. Brazil’s admiral fired back that “by that analogy, a kangaroo must be a bird because it jumps along the ground.”
After extensive debates, a tribunal ruled in Brazil’s favor – the lobsters belonged to them, and France had no claim. French ships that had harvested lobsters off Brazil had their catches seized, dealing a financial blow to the ship owners.
By 1961, the lobster wars had raged for 5 years. Ultimately, Brazil prevailed in affirming its sovereignty over the lucrative lobster supply along its shores. No military clash occurred, but the crisis demonstrated how even seemingly trivial matters like crustaceans could bring nations to the brink of conflict when national pride and resources were at stake.
The lobster wars may seem a curiosity today, but they highlighted issues surrounding maritime rights that still resonate. Debates continue over nations’ exclusive economic zones along their coasts. But rarely do these escalate into lobster-centric standoffs. So while it was perhaps absurd, the lobster wars stand out as a unique clash where seafood was the casus belli between two global powers.
Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning and laughing a lot while you do, you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode right now!
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