88 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF ABERDEEN AND DISTRICT 
streets, and by offices, factories and yards connected with the fishing 
industry. The building of Victoria Bridge made available a large and 
conveniently situated area south of the river soon to be utilised for more 
commercial buildings as well as for houses for the growing population. 
Until the eighties of last century a small fish market existed at the foot of 
Market Street, but because of its inconvenient situation and inadequate 
size this soon had to be abandoned. Though the landing wharf and 
market on the north side of the Albert Dock—a tidal basin, 22-9 acres in 
area—were not ready for use until 1889, events have proved that the time 
spent in careful planning and carrying out the extensive works these plans 
entailed was well worth while. The regular use by the Harbour Com- 
missioners of modern dredging plant to remove the silt, sand and shingle 
deposited in the navigation channel by sea and river has enabled fishing 
vessels to enter or leave the Albert Basin at practically any state of the 
tide. Compared with the fish market to-day the building opened in 
1889 was small, being only 500 ft. long and 40 ft. in width. It was so 
situated, however, that extension was a comparatively simple matter, and 
from time to time, as the needs of the industry for more market space 
became clamant, additions and improvements have been made. The 
present market, occupying an area of 16,119 square yards, is nearly half a 
mile in length, with a breadth for the greater part of 52 ft., and almost 
fulfils the dream of one early noted pioneer who ‘ trusted that he might 
live to see the market right round the Albert Basin.’ The market floor 
is 2 to 3 ft. above street level, while wide doorways on the street frontages 
facilitate the rapid transference of the fish to the processing yards and 
factories. An abundantsupply of water and a large staff of men, employees 
of the town, ensure the thorough cleansing each day of the extensive 
concrete floor. ‘The provision of the new market, the steadily increasing 
landings and the method adopted of auctioning the catches resulted in 
an influx of buyers who, as a class, have never ceased to seek and utilise 
new and more efficient ways of treating and marketing the prime products 
of the sea. Village methods of curing were first adopted, and rapid 
improvements in technique soon made Aberdeen ‘ finnans,’ ‘ pales ’ and 
*‘smokies ’ renowned and appreciated in all parts of the world. The 
most noteworthy advance in recent years, and one which has done much 
to popularise fish as a table delicacy, has been the development of filleting, 
which has provided the consumer with a boneless product either in the 
fresh or cured condition. The opening up of the Iceland grounds 
principally by German trawlers provided ample material for a great 
export business in hard dried, salted cod and saithe, and raised Aberdeen 
to the position of Britain’s leading centre for this trade. 
Space permits of only brief mention of the many subsidiary industries 
brought into existence. The local manufacture of great quantities of ice, 
about 120,000 tons annually, for the preservation of the catches, the 
shipping and handling of coal, shipbuilding, engineering and repairing 
establishments, including three pontoon docks, the growing use of motor 
transport, box and barrel making, the manufacture of bye-products—fish 
meals, fertilisers, glue, and fish liver oils of proved medicinal value—and 
the packaging and daily despatch of the processed fish by rail and road 
