ANTARCTIC WHALING

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 302, 21 September 1928, Page 13

ANTARCTIC WHALING

BIG EXTENSION OF OPERATIONS MANY NEW EXPEDITIONS A NEW EPOCH IN NORWEGIAN INDUSTRY Remarkable developments have recently taken place in the Norwegian whaling industry, and the coming season will see a considerable extension of operations in the Antarctic regions. Numerous additions have been made to the whaling fleet, both in factory ships and in whale chasers, and it is estimated that well over 3000 men will be employed by them.

Au interesting article in the “Norwegian Journal of Commerce and Shipping” at the beginning of July stated that great activity was then being shown iu Norwegian whaling centres in preparation for the coming season, which would be marked by a great extension of operations iu the open oceans. The pelagic regions are, of course, not a new field, it was remarked, but it is only this year that this field has begun to be properly developed. The latest methods of “fishing” are to be specially employed by the new expeditions, and most of the old-established companies have reorganised their fleets and are more or less adopting the new methods. “New Epoch in Norwegian Whaling.” “There can be no doubt but that the operations in the pelagic regions mark a new epoch in Norwegian whaling, as did the transfer <•£ operations from the Arctic to the Antarctic some years ago. It is not easy to obtain information as to where the new companies intend to operate, and the managers say that they do not yet know themselves. No doubt this is largely due to competition. The IVeddel Sea, however, seems to be the most favoured. The fleets are to start earlier this year than last, experience having shown that it was most advantageous to start early along the edge of the ice in the Antarctic. Most of the expeditions will probably leave Norway in August and by the beginning of October operations in certain regions will be in full swing. 5000 Men Signing On. “The signing on of the crews for this mighty whaling fleet has been going on from the beginning of July. A considerably larger number of men will be wanted this year than last. Several of the largest ships will each require 200 men. It is estimated that well over 5000’ men will be required, and even so it is not easy to secure a job in the whaling fleet. Men are standing in long queues waiting in the hopy of being signed on, but the various companies have, of course, their old crews who have been with them for years.” New Factory Ships. Since the beginning of this year Norwegian whaling companies have purchased seven large British steamers for conversion into pelagic whaling factories. These include the former White Star liners Athenic, 12,366 tons (renamed Pelagos); and Medic, 12,222 tons; the New Zealand Shipping Co.’s steamer Opawa, 9306 tons (renamed Antarctic) ; the oil-tanker San Lorenzo, 12,0 J i tons gross register; and the cable steamer Colonia (renamed Torodd), 8022 tons gross register. Drastic alterations have been made in these ships to fit them for handling and rendering down whale carcasses. Several have had slipways fitted in the bows for hauling carcasses on deck similar to that on the C. A. Larsen, while the Athenic and others have the slipways at the stern. Among the whaling expeditions fitting out at Sandefjord last month were the Rosshavet Company’s C. A. Larsen and Sir James Clark Ross, both of which are due in New Zealand next month on their way to the Ross Sea. Other expeditions preparing at Sandefjord were the Svdhavet Company’s floating factory Svend Foyn, 4136 tons, with three chasers; the Ornen Company’s factory ships Falk, 4503 tons, and Orn 11, 4358 tons, each with three chasers in addition to a transport ship of 17,500 tons deadweight capacity. The Odd Company is sending out the factory ship i°rodd ; (ex Colonia) with a tank capacity of .10,000 barrels. The Torodd has a hauling slipwav aft and will operate pelagically with three chasers. Messrs. Bryde and Dahl have also a new factory ship, the Thorhammar, of 17.000 tons deadweight and a capacity of 70,000 barrels. She is to operate pelagically but without license, with the four chasers oi the Norwegian Whaling Company, which works the west coast of Australia. It is possible that the Thorhammer may go to the Antarctic regions south ot Australia. Messrs. Bryde and Dahl and the Vestfold Company will also operate shins at South Georgia. lhe N. 1. Nielsen-Alonso, 9516 tons, which has worked for two seasons without a license in the Ross Sea, was fitting out at Lai vik. She will probably be working this season in company with another unlicensed ship in the same regmil. lhe Globus Company s Lancing, 1 991 ton... and the Norge Company s Solstreif, 4643 tons, were fitting out at Larvik toi the South Shetland region below Cape Horn. The Ishavet Company, a new concern, is fitting out the motor-ship Uaa «> jr (formerly the British full-rigger Scottish Glens), with a capacity of 11,066 barrels, and two whale chasers. According to the “Norwegian Journal of Commerce,” however, even greater activity in fitting out whalers was in progress at Tonsberg. Two new pela*rie companies, both managed by Alesbib. Brunn aud von der Lippe, are preparing the’Pelagos (ex Athenic) and the Antarctic, each with five specially-built whale chasers. The Pelagos lias a capacity of 70.000 barrels and the Antarctic 60.660 barrels. The Hoktor Company, of Tonsberg, having bought another large factory ship, will have three expeditions to operate this season in the Antarctii. The Tonsberg Whaling Company will a "iiin operate from a shore station at South Georgia and with a floating factory at the South Orkney Islands, lhe Anglo-Norse Company will again work in the region of the Sandwich Group in the South Atlantic. The Future of Whaling. It is generally understood that, although whaling operations are carried on almost exclusively under the Norwegian flag, much British capital is mvested in the business. In connection with the question of dim' nation in the number of whales, and the possibility of som« international tiou being necessary lo prevent the extinction of the speeies owing io the intensive fishing of the past lew years, the "Norwegian Journal of Commerce says. it is of great interest to hear the opinions of old. experienced whalers. A great authority on whaling and a pioneer in the South Shetland expeditions who knows the migrations of whales probably better than anyone else, expresses the opinion that there is as yet no danger of anv undue strain, although, of course, there is a limit to the degree of intensity with which tlie fishing of whales can be carried on. The field is so enormously large, however, that he sees no need to fe-ir the present strain destroying or diminishing the number of whales. The •home' of the blue whale has not yet been found, nor are the peregrinations of this

whale known, and the Weddell Sea is still an unexplored region. The whale sticks to the ice. where it finds its food, and no blue whale, which is worth catching is seen north of 58 degrees south. This whale disappears in February, and comes back in April, but where it is during that period is unknown. There is still a great deal about whales, their life, habits, whereabouts, migrations, etcwhich is not known.”