The Developing Industry
Fish have been recognised as a major food source by people around
the world from the earliest times. Archaeologists have shown
that fishing was important to the first people who settled in
Scotland around 7,000 BC. At this stage in history, fishing
was a subsistence activity, undertaken only to feed the fisherman
and his immediate community. more..
The Herring Boom
In the early 19th Century, the British Government gave a bounty
of £3.00 per ton to owners of herring boats larger than
60 tons, plus a bounty on all herring sold abroad. This, coupled
with the coming of the railways as a means of more rapid transport,
gave an opportunity to fishermen and agents to deliver their
catches to markets much more quickly than in the past. more...
Changing Fishing Methods
Since the late 19th century, fishing methods have changed radically.
New technology has been used to increase fishing boats’
efficiency and the size of catches. more...
Developments in Boat Design
The design of fishing boats is dependent on the tasks they are
to perform and the conditions in which they will be used. For
example, boats that are operated from beaches are generally
lighter and have a more rounded hull than boats used in harbours.
Inshore vessels operating among rocks and skerries must be more
manoeuvrable than those that are designed to withstand the force
of the open sea. more...
Modern Times
Recent years have seen the fishing industry increasingly regulated
and fishing activity concentrated on the fewer, larger ports
with the facilities to handle the large catches landed by the
efficient vessels of today. Fishermen and boats continue to
fish out of Aberdeen, Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Shetland while
falling fish stocks in recent years and a change in the markets
for different types of fish have caused the industry to decline
in the smaller communities. However, fishermen all around the
coast have diversified into catching shellfish, particularly
prawns, once seen as worthless, and numbers of small boats are
increasing.
Picture Tour
Our picture tour below takes you through some of the most visual
elements of the fishing history in Scotland. Click on the pictures
below for more detail.
