An artist is being sought to commemorate the men and women who worked and died in Aberdeen’s industry.
Plans to build the memorial at the Aberdeen Maritime Museum on Shiprow were approved by the city council last month, after a meeting of the local authority’s fishermen’s working group.
An artist or crafts-person is now being sought to design the memorial, which is expected to be unveiled in spring 2018.
The long history of Aberdeen’s fishing industry can be traced back to the 12th century with evidence of the first wooden harbour at Shiprow.
Labour councillor Barney Crockett hopes that the memorial will recognise the vital role played by Aberdeen’s fishermen and women.
He said: “I think that the feelings in the fishing community are always strong. These were brave men doing dangerous jobs, many of whom lost their lives at sea.
“It is the efforts of Aberdeen’s fishermen that this city was built on.”
Lord Provost George Adam, who established the fishermen’s working group, said: “This memorial is a very welcome addition to the city and will commemorate a huge part of Aberdeen’s story and an industry which touches the lives of many of our citizens.
“We are now well underway with planning the project and I’m sure the final result will be something treasured by generations to come.”
A total of £55,000 has been made available for the commission.
A council brief for the memorial reads: “The working group is looking for an artist with the ability to reflect, in either second or third, the major contribution the fishing industry has made to the city’s life and heritage.
“The work should endeavour to combine the various elements of the industry and the city’s coastal location in order to create a coherent, reflective artwork which both informs and provides opportunity for contemplation.”
Aberdeen’s fishing industry has declined in recent years, with only 1,000 tons of fish passing through the city’s fishing landings in 2015.
This compares to the hundreds of thousands of tons which at the beginning of the century passed through Aberdeen harbour.
However fishing boats in Aberdeen still go to sea in treacherous conditions, whilst ashore the workforce still handle and process the catch ready to send off to the markets.