Which countries participated in the Lobster War?

The story behind the answer

France and Brazil clashed in the early 1960s in the so‑called Lobster War, a naval standoff over spiny lobsters off Brazil’s northeast coast. Brazil argued the lobsters crawled on its continental shelf and thus fell under its jurisdiction; France claimed they “swam” like fish on the high seas. After boat seizures and the dispatch of warships—without shots fired—the dispute ended diplomatically, largely affirming Brazil’s control and licensing limited French fishing.

Why it matters: the episode foreshadowed modern maritime law and Exclusive Economic Zones. Memory tip: think “French cuisine meets Brazilian coastline”—France wanted lobsters for the pot; Brazil said they crawl on our shelf.