POLAR WHALING

Hokitika Guardian, 1 April 1933, Page 6

POLAR WHALING

i DIMINUTION OF STOCK I

THE GOVERNMENT CRITICISED

LONDON, March 16. [ 'Captain Harold K. Salvesen, wh 0 is d member of an English whaling firm, .g|a\:e ; a lecture on “the whaling industry last evening befoiq, the Royal Society of Arts. The subject of -the dinwiiiition of the (stock wag fully discussed, ■ and it . was evident that the trade is not altogether sympathetic, with the Discovery scientific expedition. ' The lecturer -described the methods of fishing, contrasting th e floating factories harbour fishing with the floating factories in the open gc-a. He maintained that there wars no fear of the extermination e.f any specieg of whale | in. the Antarctic because the .supply ’ would still be appreciable long after the time when it would not pay to ■catch 'the whales. In South Georgia, in 1919, he said, there was a tremendous I reduction in the quality and quantity | of stock, when his father pleaded once : more for a reduction in the number o f j licenses. Statistics of catches, average length of whales, average oil production of a whale, and the evidence of gunners all proved that there had been a great diminution since that time. In the South seas whaling had almost petered out by 1927, and thp ' floating factories were saved by taking to‘‘ice fishing. In th c Ross Sea, too, i there had been a very great diminution Of the stock and floating factories had now' 'ce.'.sed to enter it. In the whole I of ' the Antarctic area from the west | coast do th e Weddel Sea and east to th.Q erV-t coast of the Ross Sea, however there were (still an enormous ■ number of whales remaining.

! ‘There is n o certain evidence,” said the lecturer, “but personally I have little doubt that we have already (taken,• and ar. e . even taking this year, a heavy toll of the stock. I am quite oerttdn that a tremendous decline in the quantity and quality of the stock has occurred in the area between Ron vet Tgbnd West to G r aham Land. “Statistics of length of whales yer give, no definite indication, hut, commencing with 1926-27, wha,lers look each season the cream .from an entirely new area—each year’s area yielded a large number of large animals. The whole area was covered in 1930-31. Some crearrf is left, but I expect from this season, onward there will be a (considerable decline in the average length.

I ‘.i‘‘Hasty generalisation from statistics | of catches.,ipight suggest that the stock , ig not the average oil I production l a whale catcher of the 'floatling .factory,.; incrreaeed every season • till i 1930-31. But Ithis is entirely e xplained .. hy; ■ ' / I , “(a) A great annual increase both in average ancf'in individual efficiency jof floating factories, whale catchers, : and their personnel. . , ... ... I “(b) '* An ■extension of operations in area,,, -* “(e) An l-okfeiision f of- .operations in time.”:’ .... • . A “It is ajtjgaxion?-to all- who have the leatst knowledge of whaling (including even managers of whaling companies) tliat whalers .always so reduce tae stock economic necessity forces complete =lpp almost complete abandonment of • tie area. The reason is quite simple: whaling companies never have propertykin,. the w-hailep they hunt—l» one company spares them, but the whales, but' another company will profit from -(t. Governments have helped by limiting dicense's, But they have, in every insfeanc' 1 , failed to limit them (sufficiently. Tho Bsitisli authorities failed to take the easy opportunity offered by, the sinking of floating factories during the wa r drastically to reduce licenses, on the contrary, soon . after' the "Unlicensed commenced to invade their preserves they permrrveu. .and even encouraged, a large increase in catche-niß.lest th’B revenue from the licensed-' wlialmg should decline. The revehue went chiefly to the Discovery Committeei whpe<* principal professed purpose was to obtain proper data for the. 1 purpose of preventing diminution .in the stock of vliala*. but the whales l wore sacrificed to data. “To prevent th e expansion wi’s not in the power cf either the British authorities: or the whaling companies. If only wig could have stopped others I machine bn our preserve;! As soon as | dt looked -as if ico fishing would he ■profitable, new companies were formed with new material. As long re company promoters could persuade the* public to hazard it s money th o expansion continued —this w.a« made specially easy as the new companies vn genera! took into their employment the trained personnel of the old—even their home, manager, as in Norway, apparently, it is quite proper for a fii'm managing oiip company to promote another company in direct competition .and then to take over tne management of the now company while still retaining that of the old. If t.h 0 old companies had failed to ex-

,p;md ytoio they woclcl merely have sacrificed their own profits to those iof others who would have (replaced them.”

-Speaking of th° 'future, Captain Salveson said ilihat negotiations had already commenced, -and a : committee had -bceri appointed and was engaged in dewing up a draft, agreement for liext season. This embodied the quota system and if accepted by all the companies would have most beneficial effect,-:. "“.With one exception,” added Captain Salvesen, Mhe Antarctic whaling companies have all expressed themselves willing tonegotiate a new agreement for next .season. The. exception is a British company. It is this company, whiejh alone i.s .operating outside the quota -agreement this season.”