The article discusses the nature and significance of strategies of managing access to fishing territories. The data relate to the indigenous and private strategies used by Icelandic fishermen. Such strategies vary with time and with fishing technology. The article discusses changes in the control of access and their implications for the management of information among skippers. Several scholars have reported claims of territoriality among fishermen and have referred to them as manifestations of property rights and ownership. It is argued here that territorial claims should be seen as pragmatic attempts to manage the conduct of fishing.