Fishing Faces – Revealing the people supporting south west Scotland’s fishing industry

The aim of the Fishing Faces Project is to raise awareness of the importance of commercial fishing to Dumfries and Galloway by highlighting personal stories that give an insight into the industry.

The Solway supports a diverse mixed fishery, resulting in local fishermen targeting a wide range of fish and shellfish species. Fish processing businesses are a major source of employment around the Solway. This includes large processing businesses at Annan and Kirkcudbright, as well as smaller smokehouses on the Galloway coast. The fisheries sector is an important part of the rural economy for the communities of Dumfries and Galloway.

SFP has worked with professional portrait photographer, Kim Ayres, to come up an amazing range of images from the local fishing industry.

Clair McFarlan, Solway Firth Partnership Manager, said: “We were delighted to launch our new publication at the Stranraer Oyster Festival and have been really pleased with the reactions of the public to it. It highlights some of the characters hidden behind the scenes in the fishing industry.”

Free copies of Fishing Faces can be picked up at a variety of outlets including local libraries, seafood restaurants, hotels and tourist information centres.

Of you can download an electronic copy – Fishing Faces booklet

Solway Firth Partnership were awarded European Maritime & fisheries Fund and Scottish Government funding by the Dumfries & Galloway Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) for the design and publication of a booklet and set of cards that aim to raise awareness of the commercial fishing industry in Dumfries and Galloway, through sharing personal stories and high quality photography portraits.