Fishing

The East Grampian fishing industry dates back centuries. At the centre of this was Aberdeen Harbour which is Britain’s oldest business and dates back to 1136. By the 1800s, fishing was the areas most important industry and in 1920 as much as 25% of the population was employed in the fisheries sector. Other towns in the area such as Peterhead and Fraserburgh were once some of the largest white fish and prawn ports in Europe but due to decreased stocks and fishing quotas the fleet sizes are now diminishing. Many of the coastal villages also show signs of a prosperous fishing industry in days gone by, many of which are now centred on tourism. Other very important past industries have included ship building, granite, textiles and cattle.

The coast is dotted with smaller, but equally as important traditional fishing villages which relied solely on the fishing. Here the villages grew up around the industry and the sea with the houses built gable end to the sea to reduce the effect of storms.

Today, many of the stocks historically fished are under pressure and we as consumers are encouraged to buy only fish from sustainable sources. To give you an idea of species under threat and which ones to avoid please see the Good Fish Guide and Seafood Scotland

Aberdeen is now known as the Oil Capital of Europe and oil and gas fields support many related industries such as surveying, research and development. The industry now hosts 26% of Aberdeen’s jobs.