50 



Thirty-ninth Annual Report 



the Conference were held during the year at which questions of 

 general principle were considered and the cases of individual harbours 

 were discussed. 



In the autumn the Board were informed that the Ministry of 

 Transport had certain funds which might be made available during 

 the financial year ending 31st March 1921 for urgent repairs at 

 fishery harbours, and they were asked to arrange for the submission 

 of applications in respect of Scottish harbours. 



The attention of the authorities of harbours which were known 

 to be iu need of repair was drawn to the matter, and after careful 

 consideration of the applications submitted by such authorities a 

 scheme comprising dredging or repairs at the harbours at Eyemouth, 

 St. Monans, Pittenweem, Anstruther, Stonehaven, Fraserburgh, 

 Gardenstown, Macduff, Cullen, Portknockie, Findochty and Burghead 

 was submitted to the Ministry. Subsequent, however, to the sub- 

 mission of the applications the Government issued strict instructions 

 for the curtailment of expenditure, and as a consequence the Ministry 

 found it was unable to make grants in an}^ of the cases. 



Harbour Administration. 



In the memorandum on Post-war Problems prepared by the 

 present Chairman of the Board and printed as Appendix I. to their 

 Annual Keport for 1918 reference was made to the necessity for 

 amendments of the law relating to the administration of fishery 

 harbours. The questions involved have received the Board's con- 

 sideration during the year, but an opportunity for introducing the 

 necessary legislation has not yet arisen. 



Dredging of Fishery Harbours. 



Prior to the war the Board had under consideration the question 

 of obtaining dredging plant for the improvement and maintenance of 

 Scottish fishery harbours. 



The large commercial ports maintain dredging plant for their 

 own use, but this cannot be done in the case of smaller harbours, 

 and it was apparent that the provision of suitable dredging plant by 

 the Board for use at such harbours at a moderate cost would be of 

 great benefit to them and to the fishing industry. 



The outbreak of war rendered it necessary to postpone the 

 matter, but since the termination of hostilities the question has 

 again come under consideration. 



War conditions restricted dredging operations at practically all 

 the harbours in which the Board are interested, and in view of the 

 arrears of work of this description and of the cost of having the 

 work executed by ordinary contract or by the hire of privately 

 owned plant, the Board submitted an application to the Treasury 

 for funds to enable them to acquire dredging plant to be hired to 

 harbour authorities. 



To meet the requirements at the different places two vessels were 

 considered necessary, — a hopper ladder dredger for dealing with the 

 larger harbours, and a hopper grab dredger for the smaller ones and 

 for dredging in places where the ladder dredger could not work. 



