An innovation of the mid-20th century, the pelagic trawl is a type of fishing gear that has been in widespread use and in constant evolution ever since the initial success of this method of fishing in the late 1940s. It was a creation of necessity, formed and later refined by the desire to better exploit herring fisheries in northern Europe.
The development of the pelagic trawl runs parallel to that of the range of technologies that made this method of fishing possible, and which continue to be developed.
This thesis takes two approaches to understanding the pelagic trawl. It begins with the story of the invention of the pelagic trawl in inter-war Scandinavia and follows its technological development in the early decades of its use. Primary sources and oral history are explored to intertwine the lives of the key inventors and their drivers within their wider context along with their influences and resources. This thesis concludes by examining the economic significance of the pelagic trawl by way of its economic value. This is achieved by assessing its role in pelagic fisheries, its output, efficiency, and place alongside other pelagic fishing methods.
The story of the pelagic trawl is one in which surprising narratives can be found. They range from the personal to the international, from the patent disputes played out in newspaper articles over decades, to using statistical data to discover why the pelagic trawl continued to be used not always the most efficient pelagic fishing method, but often the most versatile. This thesis also presents the small stories of the inventors attempts to innovate, of the how and why they went about the business of innovating, and how that fits into the greater context of post-war northern Europe.
