ANTARCTIC WHALERS HAVE GOOD SEASON

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27367, 4 June 1954, Page 6

ANTARCTIC WHALERS HAVE GOOD SEASON

(From a Reuter Correspondent) CAPE TOWN. Whaling fleet! belonging to half a dozen countries are now finding their ■ way back to th'eir home ports, heavy with cargoes of oil and meat from another fishing season in the stormy Antarctic. Factory ships, tankers and catchers, passing through Cape Town on their way to European waters, all report a reasonable share of whale killings—but a most unreasonable share of bad weather. Hard-skinned Norwegian whaling masters, who have spent half their lives round the Antarctic circle, said that the w’eather they met in the tar south this year was the worst in their memory. Whale catching had to Joe abandoned some days to fight the storms. Disaster threatened once when the British whaling tanker Thule, 7400 tons and the 10,700-ton Dutch f&etory ship, Willem Barendsz, were almost swept against each other by hurricane force winds and heavy seas off Enderby Land. Some theories for the exceptional weather this year link it with the progressively warmer temperatures now recorded in the Polar regions. The British expedition to the Antarctic this year with the 15,700-ton factory ship, Balaena, is expected to show the best haul of all the international fleets which flshed from January 2 to March 18—the “open season,” brought to an immediate end by international agreement the moment a maximum limit of whale oil has been taken among all vessels. In the two and a half months of fishing available, the Balaena, with its Norwegian crew and British scientists, processed more than 172,000 barrels of whale oil, from whale flesh. Nearly 20 Expeditions

Nearly a score of whaling expeditions were originally scheduled to hunt in the Antarctic this season with more than 200 fast catchers, chasing the surfacing whales which are snot with harpoon guns. Russia, Norway, the Netherlands, Japan and South Africa all sent expeditions, as well as Britain,

Catches worth millions of pounds and representing thousands of slaughtered whales have in several cases been sold to governments before the first harpoon of the season has been fired.

More than 30,000 tons of whale oil passed through Cape Town in one recent week end with returning expeditions going north, most of it al-

ready sold at an average price of £6B 10s a ton. This price is little over half 1952’s prevailing rate, but still profitable. Whale oil supplies on the market which are not taken up before next season may depress the world price still further, it is feared. Increased production of other edible oils at reduced prices has been lowering the demand for whale oil since the ■ immediate post-war period. Some of the older, less economic whale oil re- , fineries may not, therefore, return to I the ice next season. Faster catchers and improved catching and processing equipment led to a general international agreement —except with Russia —to reduce catching fleets this year. Whaling owners appreciated the views of the crews that the season would become too short for the job if the oil quota were obtained too quickly. Skilled Gunners But the best harpoon gunners still killed whales at a remarkable rate. One Norwegian gunner, Finn Ellefsen, of the Balaena fleet, was credited with 371 whales, believed to be the best individual score for the season. Norwegians, who have handed down whaling traditions from father to son, monopolise the skilled jobs in most expeditions. Only the Russians prefer to have Russians harpoon their catch. They employed Norwegians to learn the job themselves. New equipment coming into whaling includes electric harpoons carrying a charge capable of stunning a whale or killing it in 10 seconds. Harpoons now used carry explosive. Every whaling season has its accidents. This year, a Norwegian mate in the British expedition was killed by an accidental explosive charge and another man was crushed. But there is never any shortage of volunteers for the work. Twenty per cent, of the Balaena’s crew are British youths looking for adventure but also capable of doing a tough job in weathers which, if nothing else, make them , immune to their own climate. In South Africa, where several expeditions usually call for their last provisions on their way to the far south, there are always youths hoping : for a chance to go too. Other countries have the same experience.

Whaling companies are now severe with stowaways. Twelve found aboard the South African factory ship, Abraham Larsen, this season were made to work throughout the threemonth voyage without pay. Prosecutions awaited them on return home.