FEWER WHALES

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1931, Page 2

FEWER WHALES

THE ROSS SEA AREA

Although the past season's whaling in the vicinity of the Ross Sea sets a new high record for whaling in the Antarctic and a very substantial fortune m extremely valuable whale oil being -iaken away to America amt Europe by the factory ships which hate been operating in or near the Boss experienced whalers <>i. hoard the now Sir dames ('latk Ross, winch returned to Stewart Island last week after a most successful cruise arc inclined to believe (says the Southland Times) that th<> whales are rap-

idly becoming scarcer in the Ross Sea and it is only a matter of time—pernaps not very long—before they arc completely exterminated. Other fields in tlie Antarctic which have not been

tapped so extensively have been Investigated during tlm current season, and it is likely that the majority of the factory vessels with their chasers will

he diverted to other areas next year. The Sir James Clark Ross has on board a capacity load of 113,000 barrels of whale oil valued at approxnnnterly £450,000. No oilier factory ships will visit New Zealand this season, as the majority left the Ross Sea comparatively early to seek whales in other localities where they were reported to be more plentiful. It is not expected that the other ships which have previously operated in the Ross Sea will return, as the whales arc considered to be diminishing there. Some idea of tlie exent of the whaling industry in the Antartic. may be gained from the Fact that between 35 and 40 factory vessels with over 220 chasers have been operating during the present season ,and the total catch is estimated at 45,000 whales, yielding approximately 3,500,000 barrels of oil of a total value of £ 15,000,000Only a small proportion of thesw vessels were operating in the Ross Sea, other fields in the Antartie region attracting many of the vessels. It is understood that several new factory vessels will he commissioned next season and that the total number engaged in whaling will be even greater than during the present season. Since whaling on a large scale, using factory ships with a number of chasers, was instituted in the Antarctic a few years ago, the industry has shown remarkable progress and the slaughter of tlie whales has grown to enormous dimensions, and thos e , who have been associated with it since it first began are now showing some concern for its future. The Ross Sea was originally believed to be the most prolific ground in the world, but the supply of whale has dropped to such an extent during the past two seasons that it- is not likely that more than one factory vessel will continue to hunt there. That vessel is the Sir James Clark Ross, of the Ross-havet Whaling Company, which has an established base at Stewart Island, and is consequently unable to change its hunting grounds as readily as ottier factory vessels.

EARLY EXTERMINATION FEARED The whalers now fear that the life of the industry is rapidly drawing to a close, as the number of ships operating in Antarctic is so large that the early extermination of the whales is a certainty. During the last two seasons whales have not been as prolific in the favoured grounds as in t?ie past, and as the vessels make their way around the ice pack close to the Antarctic Circle the whales are likely to he killed out to such an exfent that whaling will no longer he profitable. At the commencement of the present season three huge factory vessels were operating near the ice pack fringing the Ross Rea, hut the prospects were such that two of them, the Kosmos and the Nielsen Alonso, made tbeti way westward to other grounds. The C. A .Larsen, which has made a number of visits to the Ross Sea on behalf of the Rosshavet Company, did not attempt to operate in the Ross Sea this season, but was sent direct to other grounds located near Baiianav Islnnd in the far south between Australia and South Africa. The returns of all these vessels for the season do not in themselves indicate any scarcity of whales, and it is admitted on all sides that the present was a most successful season. The C. A. Larsen will proceed to Capetown and then to America with a full cargo of 10-5,000 barrels. The Nielsen Al-

unso, with a capacity of 56,000 barrels, can report a catch of 10/,000 barrels, a tanker having relieved her of almost a capacity load fairly early in the season. The K.osmos will proceed north with no less a load than 100,000 barrels. These quantities, 'together with the 113,000 barrels carried by the Sir James Clark Ross, represented a total catch for those four vessels of 553,000 barrels valued at no loss than £2,000,000. These vessels, witJi the exception of the Sir James Clark Ross wore operating in or near the Ross Sea last year, and tlie total catch was considerably smaller. ROSS Sft A DESERTED.

The whalers on the Sir .Tames Clark Ross were not at all optimistic concerning the future when interviewed yesterday, and all declared that had Hot the Rosshavet Company established its base at Paterson Inlet at considerable expense some years ago no R. Aorv. vessel firom the company would attempt whaling in the .Boss Sea next season. They were satisfied however, that there would lie no further competition in that locality, and it was probable that the C. A. Larsen would lie the on’y ship going down to these grounds next year. It is .significant of the loss of prestige of the waters south of New Zealand that the Sir James Clark Ross is the only factory ship to return north via local ports, and it is stated that the visits x to the Dominion in future will be confined to one vessel of the Rosshavet Company. In recent years whale oil has been an extremely valauble product commanding a very high price, and in almost every ease factory ships operating this season sold their catch long fere the whaling commenced. The prospects for the future, however, are not no bright, and tin* market appears to have boon affected hv a decline similar to that in all other products Buyers are reported to be very wary, and no offers for" the next season’s catch have vet come forward. This

is in distinct contrast to recent seasons, the whole catch being sold as far as two years ahead.

In the past the whaling companies, most of which are of Norwegien origin have been able to pay handsome dividends and tlie crows of tlie ships have received high salaries,, but the old hands are now forecasting a lean time pending a gradual tapering off of tlie industry similar to the position which ruled in tlie Arctic a number o? years