Cod: a Biography of the Fish That Changed the World

Jared Sims

History 120

12/5/13

Cod: A biography of the Fish that Changed the World

If you were to go up to the average person and ask them what they know about Cod, they probably would tell you the obvious, it's a fish. But the cod has had much more of an impact on the world than just being a species of fish. The cod, of course, is a very important source of food and money, due to the strength of its biology and accessibility. The cod was, and still is, a big contributor to the evolution of fishing by influencing both fishing techniques and technologies that surround fishing. Most importantly, the cod played a huge role in many historical events, and was an important catalyst in the proceedings that took place in order to create the world we live in. In Mark Kurlansky's book, Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World he elaborates on all of these topics.

“Sometimes they have to stick a fish three or four times to get a tag in. This is proof of what a tough survivor the cod is. A salmon would ever survive this handling.” Mark Kurlansky said this on the tenth page of his book. Don't let it be underplayed, the cod is an incredibly tough fish that can take a beating. They live in shallow water, are almost immune to disease, are easy to feed, and once fully grown they have very few predators. Fortunately for fisherman, they don't put up much of a fight when being caught. Combined with their ability to outlast other fish such as whale and herring, along with their great nutritional value and easiness to catch, the cod made for both a great food source and catch. The cod has 18% of protein and has very, very little fat. To quote Mark Kurlansky, “There is almost no waste to cod.” (Pg. 34). The bladder of the cod can be either fried or stewed and eaten, and can also be made into glue. The roe can be eaten both fresh or smoked. The britches can be fried, and the skin be eaten or used as a material for leather. Even the bones have use; they can be eaten once...