History of the North Sea great herring fishing industry resulting in Scotland becoming a European leader in that industry. During the First Schleswig War (1848–51), the Crimean War (1854–56) and the Second Schleswig War (1864), belligerents took steps to reduce or eliminate commerce in the North Sea by their enemies. In the first Schleswig War, Denmark was able to halt maritime commerce by Germany in the North Sea and in the second, imposed tolls on ships crossing through the Danish straits between the Baltic and North Seas. The Crimean War saw British and French expeditions sent into the Baltic to prevent Russian ships' egress into
Sea lamprey found in the northern and western Atlantic Ocean along the shores of Europe and North America, in the western Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, and in the shores of the Great Lakes. They have been found at depths to 4000 m and tolerate temperatures between 1.0 and 20 °C. The largest European populations of sea lampreys are located throughout the south-western areas of Europe (north-central Portugal, north-northwest of Spain, and west–south-west of France). These countries also support the main fisheries of the species. Sea lampreys are anadromous. From their lake or sea habitats, they migrate up rivers to spawn (followed