APPENDIX IV APPENDIX J*’ 
United Kingdom fishing vessels 
as of December 1974 
Trawlers BD AMS I 
Liners lS) 
Seiners 639 
Drifters Wal 
Ringnetters IZ) 
Others, not specified 2,663 
Total 6,976 
Deepwater trawling vessels over 82 feet have declined 
over the past 10 years by about 100, whereas inshore vessels, 
39 to 82 feet, have increased about 8,000. Long distance 
vessels continue to decline due to economic conditions. 
Many of the long distance vessels can no longer be used 
and probably will not be replaced. For example, an official 
from the Scottish Trawlers Federation told us that 50 of 
the 90 fishing vessels based in Aberdeen, Scotland, were 14 
to 16 years old and in need of replacement. Whether these 
vessels are replaced will depend upon future prospects. The 
inshore fleet is in the same position having many vessels up 
to 40 years of age. 
OWNERSHIP, EMPLOYMENT, AND WAGES 
Vessel ownership ranges from small individual ownership 
to large public companies (corporations). The deep sea 
trawling fleet is almost entirely company owned, and postwar 
mergers and takeovers resulted in their control by only five 
or six groups. The largest groups are public companies whose 
shareholders are not directly involved in the fishing in- 
dustry. Inshore and near water vessels are mainly individual- 
ly owned, often by the skipper of the vessel. 
In 1974 the number of fishermen employed in the United 
Kingdom was 23,426, which is a slight decrease from 1973. 
About 4,900 of these fishermen are employed part-time. This 
decrease has been attributed to poor wages and few fringe 
benefits. 
Trawling companies involved in distant water fishing 
are managed through owners' associations which are located 
at the principal ports, and usually have permanent executive 
and secretarial staff. The port associations are in turn 
represented nationally by the British Trawlers Federation 
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