Aberdeen Mission consults on Fishermen's memorial – Fishupdate.com
Aberdeen Mission consults on Fishermen’s memorial Published: 30 May, 2012
THE Aberdeen branch of the Fishermens Mission in Scotland is currently consulting the local community about their support for a memorial to the citys former fishermen.
Although Aberdeen has a proud fishing tradition and there is still fish processing activity in the city, there are now no fish landings, with Scottish whitefish landing and selling activity now mainly centred on Peterhead.
Despite this, the advisory committee wants to gauge support for the concept of doing something to remember those who played such a key role in the citys life for so many generations.
The idea is revealed in the mission committees latest newsletter and, as the committee puts it: The Local Advisory Committee of the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen is currently investigating the feasibility of creating a permanent memorial to the crews of Aberdeen fishing boats. Before deciding whether to proceed we would be keen to know how much support there would be for this proposal from local people and businesses.
For many centuries fishing was a major industry in and around Aberdeen and as late as the 1970’s the city had a large fleet of middle water and inshore boats.
In 1914 the industry is said to have employed as many as 19,000 people in the city, at sea and onshore.
The industry declined in the 1970’s as a result of the closure of traditional fishing grounds in Iceland and the Faroe islands and also the rapidly escalating cost of fuel oil. Many of the boats and crews were transferred to working in the oil industry which was thankfully expanding rapidly at that time.
We are currently exploring the possibilities for a memorial to men and boats which have been lost over the years and also as a general tribute to a once proud industry which did much to provide jobs and to create wealth in the city over many centuries and thus laid the basis for much of the city’s current prosperity.
If you would support such a development please contact the Mission office at 196 Market St Aberdeen. Tel: 01224 584651, or email aberdeen@rnmdsf.org.uk