of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



51 



In August 1920 the Treasury sanctioned an advance from the 

 Development Fund for the purchase by the Board of the self- 

 propelling dredger " Dragon " — a single screw hopper ladder dredger 

 120 feet long with a hopper capacity of 300 tons — and since the 

 acquisition of the vessel she has been doing excellent work in Buckie 

 Harbour. 



Owing to the necessity for the restriction of expenditure the 

 question of acquiring a grab dredger has been deferred for a time. 



It is intended that the dredging service should be self-supporting, 

 and the charges to be made against harbour authorities requiring 

 the services of the plant will be at rates sufficient to cover the 

 total cost of the dredging department, including interest on the cost 

 of the vessels and an allowance for depreciation. 



A report for the year by Mr. E. Gordon Nicol, O.B.E., M.Inst.C.K, 

 the Board's Consulting Engineer, on the work on improvement 

 schemes will be found under Appendix I., page 61. 



CHAPTER X. 



SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. 



The year 1920 saw a general quickening of interest in fishery 

 matters, including fishery research. The meetings of the Inter- 

 national Council for the Exploration of the Sea were resumed, and 

 at the first post-war conference held in London in March, at which 

 Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, 

 Norway and Sweden were represented, a programme of researches 

 was drawn up for fulfilment by the various participating countries. 

 Scotland was represented at the Conference by the Secretary (now 

 Chairman) of the Board, the Scientific Member, and the Scientific 

 Superintendent. Of the portion of the international programme of 

 researches which was allocated to the United Kingdom, Scotland 

 undertook its due share. 



The allocation of the International programme of researches 

 to the three component parts of the United Kingdom involved 

 frequent consultations among the three fishery departments, and at 

 the instance of the Development Commissioners, who made it a 

 condition of grants from the Development Fund in aid of 

 fishery research that there should be co-ordination and co-opera- 

 tion of effort among the Departments, a regular series of con- 

 ferences was held, which proved of great advantage, both in the 

 exchange of information and views and in the efficient and 

 economical apportionment of the work. Three conferences were held 

 during 1920, one in London in February, the second at Edinburgh in 

 July and the third in London in October. The later conferences 

 were attended by representatives of various independent marine 

 institutions recognised by the Development Commissioners for the 

 purpose of grants from the Development Fund in aid of fishery 

 research. 



The Scottish research work, which included numerous investiga- 



