Fuel price hike plunges Scottish fishing industry into crisis

FOR five generations, the menfolk of the Stephen family have braved the waters around Scotland’s northernmost shores to make a living. Now however, James Stephen fears he will be the one to witness the death of that proud heritage.

The latest skipper of the Harvest Hope is just one member of an Aberdeenshire town’s historic but beleaguered fishing community, about a quarter of which is facing “financial jeopardy” due to ever- rising oil prices, according to industry leaders. With the price of oil hitting a record high of $142 a barrel yesterday, Scotland’s fishermen find themselves plunged into an even deeper crisis.

Scotsman