Derek Duthie, Secretary: Derek joined the Association in 1998. Brought up in the village of Gardenstown with strong family connections within the fishing industry, Derek held a variety of management positions in banking before leaving to join the Association. Derek is a Chartered Banker and holds a BSc in Marine Resource Management (Marine & Fisheries Management) from University of Aberdeen.

In 2006 Derek became chairman of North East Fishermen's Training Association and also the Northern Pelagic Working Group of EAPO, a European lobby group. He is also a director of Seafood Scotland.

Scottish Pelagic Fishermen's Association Limited

The aim of the Association is to promote and protect the interests of the Scottish pelagic fishing fleet by:

• Supporting the sustainable fishing of pelagic stocks;
• Maximising the fishing opportunities available to members;
• Ensuring that members are allowed to participate equitably in international fisheries; and,
• Placing strong emphasis on safety, training and quality.

Chairman - Andrew Tait: Brought up in a fishing family from Cairnbulg, Andra started sea at the age of 15 on board his fathers vessel Gratitude becoming skipper of his own vessel, Fertile, at the age of 22. Went on to build up the Tait family business, now known as Klondyke Fishing Company, along with brothers William and Robert. Klondyke now owns and operates a fleet of 3 pelagic trawlers. Elected Vice-Chairman of the Pelagic Association in 1998 and Chairman in 2001.

Vice-Chairman - Alex Wiseman:

Brief History of the Association

The Scottish Herring Producer's Association Limited was founded on 9 February 1932. Within ten months of its formation the Association had no fewer than 3,128 individual members grouped in 13 branches based in ports from East Fife northwards to Lerwick, across the north coast of Scotland and west as far as Stornoway. The membership included fish salesmen, boat owners and share fishermen.

The Association came into being out of a deep and widespread crisis facing the herring industry. At the time there was need for more efficient organisation of the producing side of the industry. It was hoped that this one Association would take the place of the large number of separate Fishermen's Associations throughout Scotland and give shape and direction to the common interests of those involved in the Scottish herring industry.

The first major initiative was to arrange a deal to export 100,000 barrels of cured herring to Russia, instantly stimulating prices in the domestic market. A minimum price scheme and proposals to initiate an advertising campaign to stimulate the home market soon followed. The Association also played an active role in the campaign to bring share fishermen under the Industrial Injuries and Health and Unemployment Scheme which was finally achieved in 1945.

Throughout the 1950's the Association fought for government subsidies in order to assist the struggling herring producing sector and try to stem the drain of personnel from the industry, eventually meeting with some success. As the sixties progressed the Association tried to maintain support for the herring industry against a background of profound changes in innovations in technology and techniques and the changing national and international sphere of operations. A drop in earnings for herring producer's led to many leaving the industry.

In 1973 the Scottish Fishermen's Organisation Ltd was formed. It took responsibility for certain marketing responsibilities such as the withdrawal price scheme. Later that year the Association was prominent among the original six Associations, which formed the even more broadly based Scottish Fishermen's Federation. In 1978 the Association's name was changed to Scottish Pelagic Fishermen's Association Limited, reflecting members diversification into other pelagic fisheries, most notably mackerel which has since become the single most important species to the sector.

Although much reduced in terms of vessel numbers the Scottish pelagic fleet remains at the forefront of European pelagic fishing. The sectors main fisheries are NE Atlantic mackerel and horse mackerel, North Sea and West of Scotland herring, Atlanto-Scandian herring and Western blue whiting. Scottish pelagic fishermen are arguably the most heavily regulated in Europe, working under the full spectrum of controls which include; quota allocations, designated landing ports, restrictive licensing, closed areas and capacity limitations. The Association continues to represent the sector at national and international levels, having 25 member vessels attached to 3 branches located at Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Shetland.