The research focuses on the economic history of the Dutch fishing industry and related activities in their international context. Technology, entrepreneurship and the involvement of the government are key factors. The study analyzes the process by which individual and national efforts to maximize fishing capacity and sales gave way to an internationally regulated management model in which, at least in theory, fishing capacity was matched to the size of the fish stocks. The mechanization of the Dutch fishing industry around 1895 marked the beginning of unbridled growth. In the second half of the 20th century, EU regulations to conserve fish stocks aimed to end the centuries-old practice of fishermen and the industry as a whole to ‘harvest’ the sea largely at will. An evaluation of the EU-regulations around 2002 concluded that the conservation policy had failed. The industry needed to redefine itself in the 21st century.
