of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



43 



the sum available for effecting the necessary alterations. The 

 work was then at once put in hand, and it is hoped that the new 

 vessel, which is named the " Explorer," will be in commission in 

 May 1922. 



Plans were obtained for an extension of the laboratory at the 

 Bay of Nigg, Aberdeen, to provide accommodation urgently required 

 for the adequate housing of the whole of the increased staff and 

 the efficient prosecution of the investigations. These plans were 

 under consideration at the close of the year. 



In continuation of the procedure suggested by the Development 

 Commissioners, meetings of the Interdepartmental Conference, at 

 which the Board were represented, were held in April, October and 

 November at Dublin, London and Lowestoft respectively. At 

 these meetings progress in the research work of the fishery depart- 

 ments is reviewed, and the programme of future work discussed with 

 the object of maintaining close co-operation between the various 

 staffs engaged on fishery research, an economical allocation of the 

 work between the departments, and an exchange of views and early 

 information as to unpublished results. 



Further meetings in June and November at London and Lowestoft, 

 attended by representatives of the fishing industry, were held to dis- 

 cuss the proposed schemes for the protection of the plaice fisheries, 

 without, however, any definite conclusion being arrived at. 



The annual meeting of the International Council for the Explora- 

 tion of the Sea was held at Copenhagen during July. Delegates 

 from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Norway, 

 Holland and Sweden were present, and representatives from Czecho- 

 slovakia, Esthonia, Lettonia, Poland and Portugal also attended by 

 invitation. 



The whole range of fishery research was discussed in great detail, 

 and each section of the Council, composed of members and experts 

 interested in a particular branch of research, drew up a definite pro- 

 gramme of work and a statement as to what portion of that programme 

 each country was able and willing to undertake. The methods and 

 apparatus used in fishery research were also carefully considered with 

 a view to the adoption of standard methods, so that the results obtained 

 by different workers might be more readily correlated. Marine 

 fishery research is essentially international in character, and the meet- 

 ings of the International Council afford the opportunity for inter- 

 national co-operation and exchange of views ; further, by bringing the 

 workers of the various countries together, the basis of the investiga- 

 tions is broadened by a mutual understanding and sympathy such as 

 can never be gained from printed reports alone. 



2. Fishery Investigations on the " Goldseeker." 



During the year seven cruises were made by the research vessel 

 " Goldseeker " in the months of February, March, July, August, Sept- 

 ember, October and November, the ship being laid up in January for 

 the annual refit and in April, May and June on account of the coal 

 dispute. In all, 128 hauls were made with the trawl, resulting in a 

 catch of 260,800 fish, practically all of which were measured. As 

 described below, cruises were made in August and September to inves- 



