The Scottish Fishing Industry before 1914The Scottish Fishing Industry before 1914Herring was a delicacy on the Continent and was caught relatively easily off the Coast of Scotland. By 1913, Scotland had the largest fishing fleet in Europe with over 10,000 boats involved in the industry.

At the peak of the Herring Boom in 1907, 2,500,000 barrels of fish (250,000 tons) were cured and almost half was exported to Germany, Eastern Europe and Russia. The boats followed the shoals of herring around the coast of Britain and along with them there followed an army of curers, merchants, general hands - and the herring lasses.

Throughout the boom, the Scots fisher lasses or herring girls were an integral part of the fisheries landscape at any port where herring was landed. The girls and women came from fishing villages all around the Coast of Scotland from Port of Ness to Eyemouth and beyond. They began gutting and packing the “silver darlings” at the age of 15, and travelled throughout the season from Stornoway to Lerwick, to Peterhead, and as far south as Yarmouth.

Anstruther harbour, east Neuk of Fife, Full of herring trawlers.

Sorting the catch ready for gutting

Gutting herring – a job for the lasses.

Plenty of work packing salted herring to be sold to Russia, Poland and Germany

German submarine

Scottish steam drifter from Peterhead on Naval duties

During the Great WarDuring the Great War “In September 1914 Scotland’s east-coast ports were

commandeered by the Admiralty, who also took control of all shipping, including the fishing fleet…” T. Royle Some limited East Coast fishing continued, but under tights controls.

• These restrictions, combined with the war itself and the departure of German fishing vessels from Scottish ports, meant the loss of herring markets in Russia and North Germany and the Baltic in general.

• Fishing continued on the west coast but largely in inshore waters.

• In the same years, white fish catches fell from 1.5 million tons to half a million and such fish was r

• 89 Scottish vessels were sunk while fishing during the war, while many others were sunk or damaged while acting as mine sweepers or on coastal patrol.

• In Britain, there were 15,000 deaths in fishing/merchant vessels which were not counted as war fatalities.

• The Royal Navy Reserve (Trawler Section), 8,000 The Royal Navy Reserve (Trawler Section), 8,000 strong, kept the industry going when restrictions strong, kept the industry going when restrictions elsewhere prevented its operation. Over 2,300 of the elsewhere prevented its operation. Over 2,300 of the Royal Naval Reserve came from Lewis, and Stornoway Royal Naval Reserve came from Lewis, and Stornoway had the biggest RNR depot in the country.had the biggest RNR depot in the country.

• Restrictions on how much could be fished pushed up Restrictions on how much could be fished pushed up prices,prices, white fish catches fell from 1.5 million tons to half a million and such fish was rationed from 1917.

• Many of the Scottish fishermen and merchant navy Many of the Scottish fishermen and merchant navy sailors who lost their lives came from the Western Isles; sailors who lost their lives came from the Western Isles; there was a local perception that these areas suffered there was a local perception that these areas suffered disproportionately.disproportionately.

Herring boats turned into sheds after the war

Before the war. Shetland herring fleet

After the WarAfter the War• The loss of export markets for Scottish fish caused by

the war was a disaster for the industry which struggled to recover after the war. Those countries deprived of Scottish herring during the war had developed their own fishing industry or found alternative suppliers See next slide). The Russian Revolution and civil war prolonged the disruption to the Scottish export market well beyond the end of fighting.

• While the government did compensate boat –owners for the use of their vessels during the war, repairs, refittting and maintenance were more expensive post-war, as were fuel, gear and wages.

• The fleet as a whole, which had been expanded during the war, was too large to be sustained in the face of lower demand and foreign competition.

• During the war, Scottish fishing lost its markets to Russia During the war, Scottish fishing lost its markets to Russia and to Germany, and with increased competition from and to Germany, and with increased competition from Iceland, Holland, Norway, it was an increased cost of Iceland, Holland, Norway, it was an increased cost of production in Scotland.  production in Scotland. 

• The fishing industry was not well equipped to take on The fishing industry was not well equipped to take on these other fishing nations in the 1920s.  these other fishing nations in the 1920s. 

• As a result catches fell considerably, exports As a result catches fell considerably, exports halved,halved, basically the industry did not recover again until after basically the industry did not recover again until after 1945.  1945. 

• So in the long-term the impact of the First World War So in the long-term the impact of the First World War was was disastrous for Scottish fishingdisastrous for Scottish fishing.”.”– Dr. William Kenefick (transcript from LtS video clip)Dr. William Kenefick (transcript from LtS video clip)