Is the Canning of Fish a Culinary Innovation?

Canning of fish is more than just a culinary innovation, it's about preserving food for long periods of time. Canning technology was developed in France after the french revolution to feed their naval crews who were subsisting on very reduced diets. Technology was rapidly pirated by expat frenchwin england at the time. There's an entire sub culture of very aged tinned sardines that you keep. And of course, the fish does slowly change inside the tin even if it's air tight.