ART OF CHASING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 252, 23 October 1936, Page 5

ART OF CHASING.

WHALING OFF JAPAN.

NORWEGIAN'S ADVENTURES.

INSTRUCTION" IN HARPOONING

Last Saturday the British whaling factory Anglo-Norse, which had spent some time in Wellington for cleaning and repairs after a successful spell of hunting on the Australian coast, left the port with her attendant brood of chasers, bound for the coast of Peru, there to engage once more in the pursuit of the giant mammals. But one man who came to Wellington on the Anglo-Norse did not sail with his ship, being confined to bed in the Wellington Public Hospital with an injured back. He was Mr. Leonhard Bronnich, who has hunted the whale in many waters, and in a conversation with a "Post" reporter he was able to tell of the magnitude of the industry in the seas near Japan. Mr. Bronnich spent six years in the ( Oriental Whaling Company's service, and during that time he and other Norwegians instructed the Japanese in the art of chasing, harpooning, and treating the whale. As in other industries the Japanese saw the wisdom of importing experts, and the Norwegians were given command of the chasers, which were manned by Jajianese sailors. Now, as the Japanese are becoming skilled at the art, the Norwegians are being replaced by Orientals. Whaling in the waters round Japan during the years Mr. Bronnich was there, from 1924 to 1930, was carried on from a number of shore stations, which were located all around the coast, and in Korea and Formosa, both of which are Japanese possessions. The actual 1 chasing was carried on by a fleet of 21 ; catchers, which penetrated as far round i as the Yellow Sea. Operations were < carried on almost all the year round, i the catchers travelling to the northern seas in the summer, and down to the I southern hunting grounds during the < winter months. The chasers were kept 1 S>n the job almost continuously, the £

vessels having only a few weeks in port • each year for overhaul and repairs. These docking periods usually took place during the spring and autumn, it being usual for the vessels to be docked • for six weeks during the spring and three weeks when autumn came round. Many Species Caught. Whale of every species were caught 011 the Japanese grounds, the sperm, , blue, humpback, and fin all being plentiful. During the summer months the sei whale was captured in the north, r The equipment used by the Japanese ' was modern, said Mr. Bronnich, the ' chasers being almost exactly the same > as those attached to the Anglo-Norse. : These were handy little ships of over , 200 tons register, having a speed of about 12J knots. All carried a modern 11 harpoon-gun with which to catch the > huge creatures. One of the features of ! the arrangement was - that the Nor- , wegian skippers were not allowed to handle the vessels until they were clear ]of the port. Consequently the chasers each carried a Japanese captain in addition to the Norwegians, and as the boat neared the station when returning from her expediton the command was given over to the Japanese. The Japanese were excellent sailors, and made excellent whalemen. The Oriental Whaling Company had offices at Osaka and other centres. In Antarctic Waters. The Japanese are now concentrating their attention on the Antarctic, said Mr. Bronnich, and for this purpose they have constructed, or have under construction, three modern factory ships and a fleet of 24 modern chasers. One Japanese whaling factory, the Tonan Maru, which was originally the Opawa, and one of the new vessels wilK be operating in the south this season, and next season the Japanese anticipate that they will have all four vessels at work down south. The Germans have also entered the field. In the opinion of Mr. Bronnich the " waters round the coast of Australia i offer great 'Scope for the formation of 1 a combined Australian and New Zea- f land company. The waters near the 1 coast offer especial attractions, as the 1 number of the creatures is exceptional. < The Anglo-Norse during her sojourn in t those waters, hunted with great sue- c cess, and the enormous total of 60,000 1 barrels (a barrel is 31.5 gallons) was|i sent home to Norway. li