THINNING THE WHALES

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 81, 2 October 1929, Page 9

THINNING THE WHALES

EOSS SEA VENTURES

IMPRESSIVE FIGURES

In view of the number of whaling expeditions which will be operating in.^. the Antarctic this year, interest attaches to the report of the Marine Department dealing with whaling in ths Boss Sea Dependency. One bawel of whale oil is equal to 40 Imperial gallons. The following table shows the nutri' ber of whales captured, the quantity of oil obtained, and the royalty, paid since the Boss Sea Dependency was placed under New Zealand administration: :

During the 1928-29 season three floating factories operated in the Boss Sea Dependency, two of them under licence and one not licensed. Two further companies are in process offormation with the object of whaling in the same waters, and both have been promised licences if flotation is successful. One of these companies is purely. English, .and the other New Zealand and Australian. It is understood that the unlicensed factory which has previously operated in the Eos:? Sea will return for the 1929-30 season, and that another very large vessel is being fitted out with the same intent.

There is at present insufficient data available to enable any one to say just what degree of intensity of-fishing the waters will stand without unduly depleting the whales, but at is clear that if pelagic whaling continues.to increase as it has been, doing there.must come a time when reproduction of-whales will be seriously affected, says'the report. There is always one ■ safeguard, howjever, which should prevent the fishing becoming too intensive, and that is that these - Antarctic expeditions involve a huge capital outlay and operating expenditure, and when competition becomes more intensive than the supply: of whales justifies some of the expeditions must go to the wall. ■ Therefore fishing expeditions ■will have to be adjusted to economic result.

The possibility of such a state of affairs will, it is hoped, force all concerned to realise the necessity-. for international agreement for the regulation of whaling operations to an extent that will ensure the .continuance of the industry by maintaining the required stadard of reproduction.

i " It is hoped that the Discovery scientific expedition, which will work in. 'the Antarctic during the,1929-30 season, j will add materially to knowledge on the subject. 1 Eeplying to questions raised whea the Estimates of the Marine Department were under consideration in the House of Kepresentatives this morning,: Minister of Marine (the Hon. J. Gr. Cobbe) explained that the cost of preparing an. expedition to capture whales was so very great that it was unlikely the business would be carried on to any extent. He mentioned that an expedition would be setting out for the Boss Sea very shortly.

- Xo. of Tear. Whales. 1923-24 221 .1924-25 .... 427 1925-26 .... 531 1926-37 .... 7S6 1927-28 .... 1455 1928-29 .... 1340 Barrels of Oil. 17,791 . 32,105 37,700 70,300 ■ 124,000 ,.122,000 Revenue. . £ s. d. 200 0 I) 200 0 0 1,720 12 S 2,921 5 0 7,176 15 0 • -13,961 17 . S