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There has been a further reduction in the number of lighters fumigated within the port, the
main reason being the increase of containerisation of many more commodities, especially dried
fruits. Instead of the commodity being fumigated in the lighter when off-loaded from the ship,
fumigation is now carried out in the container prior to loading aboard the ship.
During the course of the year, 14 of the rats that were recovered from treated lighters were
sent to the Public Health Laboratory, County Hall, and on each occasion P/pestis was not
isolated.
Although there has been a further decrease in the number of lighters trading in the port, the
lighterage industry serves as an essential link in the sources of the port, conveying cargoes of
incoming ships to riverside wharves, factories, public utility undertakings and railheads extending
along both banks of the Thames and adjacent canal and creek networks.
The lighterage service today is operated with a modern and specialised plant conveying a
considerable amount of the tonnage of general cargoes passing through London, plus a large
amount of petroleum and other specialised commodities and materials. Including catamaran
craft, which are capable of transporting 57 cars at a time from factory to export ship, with continued
modernisation and other specialised craft, the lighterage service is still very much an
integral part of the life of the port.

WATER BORNE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
Lash Lighters
During the course of the year, 317 lash lighters were transported by the 'mother ships' from
the United States of America to the Thames Estuary and then towed to various terminal wharves
within the port for discharge.
In view of the fact that lash lighters trade between various places on the inland waterway
system in the United States of America and Europe carrying general cargo and cereal produce, it
is important that there must be a system of control regarding rodent infestation.
Of the 317 lash lighters that were discharged in the port during the year 1971, 86 were inspected
for rodent infestation, equivalent to a 27% inspection, and on each occasion there was
no evidence of rodents.
As in the past, every assistance has been received from the lighterage industry in our efforts
to reduce rodent infestation to a minimum in lighters, and I do feel that, by the combined efforts of
education, hygiene, source reduction and rat-proofing, rodent infestation in lighters can be reduced
and controlled to a minimum.
RODENT CONTROL ON LIGHTERS YEAR ENDING 1971
Number of Lighters Inspected 3,545
Number of Lighters without any evidence 3,319
Number of Lighters with negligible fresh or old evidence. No
action taken 137
Number of Lighters treated for rats 89
Number of dead rats recovered after treatment 177
Numberof rats sent for bacteriological examination P/pestis. All
results were negative 14
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