WHALING SLUMP.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 10829, 30 March 1932, Page 3

WHALING SLUMP.

lIIG 'FLEET LAID UP The whales of the Antarctic seas have enjoyed the first quiet season in many years. Few keels have crossed the grey waste of southern waters and the most enormous whaling fleet ever seen has, with the exception of only a few units, been laid upat its home ports, says the Christchurch "Times.” This “close” season has not been ordered by the Governments controlling the whaling areas, and there, has been no tightening up on the licences which New Zealand issues for firms following the industry in the Ross Sea dependency. The "close” season has followed a. record year, when 37,000 whales were caught and the market flooded, with the result, that a million barrels of oil were unsold. Another result of this glut was the tremendous fall in copra prices and a resulting depression which spread over the whole of the South- Sea Islands. The world’s whaling fleet consists of 33 factory- ships, many of them over 10,000 tons, 100 whale catchers and five oil transport ships, in all 550.000 tons of shipping.

Although the Norwegian whaling ’ companies agreed among themselves that the exploitation in previous years bad been overdone, three companies sent ships down into the Antarctic this-year. The Southern Whaling Company controlled by the great soap-making firm of Lever Bros., sent out two 12,000-ton ships with 16 small whale-catchers, to operate in the Endprby Land region where the Mawson Expedition was engaged last year. Another firm sent three factory ships with attendant whale catchers, and an Argentine firm dispatched two floating refineries to work to the south and cast of Cape Horn.

The total whaling fleet in the Antarctic during the past season described officially as ‘a “close season” Avas therefore seven factory ships and 40 catchers, instead of the full fleet of 45 ships and 200 catchers. Meanwhile the British survey ship, Discovery 11, continues her Avork, investigating the habits and breeding of whale, about which very little is yet known. Nobody knows, for example. to Avhat age Avbales live, or vfhy, though they live only on miscoficopic Crustacea, they, attain such a great size.

In the course of,her researches, the Discovery II is expected to make n complete circumnavigation of the , Antarctic, calling at Cape Town, Pretnanlte, and Wellington in the course of her long voyage. The effect, of this close season, ; touch has. been forced upon the companies, will in the end be of great advantage to the industry. At the tate Avhales have been killed during the past decade, it Avould not be Jong before the danger of extinction ould have compelled the Governcontrolling the Avhaling seas to P ombit whale fishing, as, some years ago, they did sealing.