XN000022-1975-04-06 — Page 4

ROYAL VISIT

PRESS

RELEASE

Sunday, April 6, 1975

ROYAL COUPLE TO SEE FLOATING PAGEANT AT ABERDEEN

Long History Of Port With Fishing

Aberdeen, always interesting with its picturesque assortment of

fishing craft, will take on extra colour on May 6 when the Queen and the

Duke of Edinburgh visit the harbour to see a water procession organised

in their honour by the fishing community.

The occasion coincides with traditional ceremonies to mark the

Tin Hau festival, and the harbour will, as usual, be heavily congested

with fishing boats that have returned to pay their annual tribute to the

goddess of heaven and protectress of seafarers.

The Aberdeen waterway is always gaily decorated at Tin Hau Festival

time, but this year will be more flags and pennants than usual because

of the historic visit to the harbour by the Royal couple.

The Queen and the Duke will see a parade of various vessels from

a special stand on a floating restaurant. Gliding past will be a fleet of

fishing boats, junks, and sampans.

The fisherman

From its earliest days, Aberdeen has always had a fishing community.

In 1841, a count showed that more than 2,000 residents of Hong Kong Island

were fisherfolk living on boats, most moored at Aberdeen,

followed migratory fish, and then returned to port with their catches.

Today, modern Aberdeen is home for about 1,600 fishing vessels.

Of these, 900 are trawlers, 200 liners, 300 netters, 30 seiners, and the

remainder small fishing craft. The total catch is 30,000 tons of fish a year.

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