Vischkrieg

Vischkrieg is a term used in speculative fiction to denote a prolonged maritime conflict over fishery resources in the North Sea Basin during the mid-22nd century. The name is a compound of visch, a familiar Germanic word for fish, and krieg, meaning war, and is often translated as 'Fish War.' In most narratives, Vischkrieg begins after climate-driven range shifts reduce traditional fish stocks and an expansion of offshore aquaculture intensifies competition for space and rights to harvest.

It originated from escalating violations of exclusive economic zones, blockade actions, and the emergence of autonomous fishing fleets backed by state and corporate actors. Major participants typically include the Coastal Alliance of the North, the Southern Federal Marshes, and private transnational fleets, though compositions vary by author. The conflict features both conventional and hybrid warfare, including mine-laying, cyber operations against sonar networks, and legal warfare—intense arbitration in a transnational court system.

By the mid-2150s, a series of ceasefires and the Geneva Aquaculture Accord established shared management regimes, data-sharing protocols, and joint enforcement ferries within a defined maritime zone. The term persists in culture as a shorthand for resource-related great-power competition in the region, and it has appeared in literature, tabletop games, and media exploring ecological geopolitics.

See also: International maritime law; Exclusive economic zone; Fisheries management; Environmental security.