§ Mr. Malcolm MacMillanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the total number of herring fishing vessels based on East Aberdeenshire ports in 1950 and in 1960, respectively; and to what factors he attributes the decline;
(2) what was the total number of herring fishermen based on East Aberdeenshire ports in 1950 and in 1963; to what factors he attributes the change; and what steps he is taking to assist the expansion of the industry in this area.
§ Mr. NobleThe number of vessels mainly engaged in herring fishing and based on East Aberdeenshire ports was 174 in 1950 and 86 in 1960: the number of fishermen employed on such boats was approximately 1,740 in 1950 and 570 in 1963.
There have been a number of changes since 1950 including a marked fall in the export of herring to countries which now rely to a greater extent on their own catches. Nowadays there are also proportionately more dual purpose drifters in the herring fleet which can equally well catch white fish as herring, and the number of boats actually engaged in herring fishing shows a larger variation through the year than formerly. Both white fish and herring catching are subsidised by the Government and fishermen are free to engage in whichever suits them best. For a number of years the average profits earned by the larger boats mainly engaged in herring catching have been higher than those of the corresponding boats mainly engaged in white fish catching: I infer therefore that fishermen are actuated by factors other than purely economic considerations.