Grimsby is strongly linked with the sea fishing industry, which once generated wealth for the town. At its peak in the 1950s, it was the largest and busiest fishing port in the world. As a result of the Cod Wars with Iceland, this industry has been in decline for many years. In 1970 around 400 trawlers were based in the port, by 2013 only 5 trawlers remain based there. By comparison, 15 vessels are used to maintain offshore wind farms in the North Sea. The town still has the largest fish market in the UK, but most of what is sold
History of fishing lasted for more than 1000 years, passing through periods of Black Death, wars and other crises and still is an important Norwegian fish trade. The Portuguese have been fishing cod in the North Atlantic since the 15th century, and clipfish is widely eaten and appreciated in Portugal. The Basques also played an important role in the cod trade and are believed to have found the Canadian fishing banks in the 16th century. The North American east coast developed in part due to the vast amount of cod, and many cities in the New England area spawned near cod fishing grounds.