You may be onto something here. Everyone thinks a world war can be sparked by the need for oil. Well okay, a war machine needs oil. But what if hostilities begin over something as simple as a clash of fishing trawlers? If hostilities break out, food is going to get scarce real quick for millions of people around the Pacific Rim, because they rely on fishing on a large scale in the Pacific Ocean. The Chinese and others have clashed over territorial claims for fishing. A trawler sunk or shot up by a hostile military vessel may lead to a larger war, leading to shortages of seafood and panic in Asian cities.
I always have said big wars begin over economic issues, generally.
Obviously it’s not a hard and fast rule.
Agree. Fishing rights are very hotly contested everywhere. Usually it’s settled peacefully, but sometimes it comes to blows.