No major changes in cod DNA from long-term fishing pressure Cod have been fished for a thousand years, both along the Norwegian coast and off Newfoundland, but industrial fishing really took off after the Second World War. Photo: Kjartan Mæstad / Institute of Marine Research Samples of Atlantic cod fished in Mortsund, Lofoten in 1907 have provided researchers with new clues about the population's development since then. Photo: Runar Bjørkvik Mæland / Institute of Marine Research Researchers derived a full genome sequence from preserved cod scales and otholiths. Photo: Runar Bjørkvik Mæland / Institute of Marine Research 1/3 Historical and contemporary samples of Norwegian and Canadian cod show that the fish’s genome has remained stable over time.