WHALING INDUSTRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22206, 5 September 1935, Page 13

WHALING INDUSTRY

REGULATING COPERATIONS DOMINION'S INT I: REST LEGISLATION THIS SESSION, [by telegkaph—specut, hepokter] WELLINGTON, Wednesday Legislation giving effect; to New Zealand's undertakings in the international convention for the regulating of whaling will have to be passed by Parliament this session. The convention was signed at Geneva on September S!4, 1931, and was published :in last week's Gazette. It is a somewhat imposing document with a long list of signatory countries. New Zealand figures largely in the arrangement, because it is responsible for the administration of the Ross Dependency, where whaling is carried 011 extensively. The Minister of Marine, Hon. J. G. Cobbe, said to-day that legislation was being prepared for submission to Parliament which would carry out New Zealand's part of the convention. The Dominion was definitely concerned in the convention as far an it affected ships registered in New Zealand. The whaling industry in Now Zealand territory was on a very am a.ll scale when compared with the major operations in Antarctic and other irogiions, There were only two small stations in New Zealand, and one was not operating at present. The season \ras limited, covering the period of the seasonal migration from the Antarctic and before major operations began there. Whaling in New Zealand could therefore have little effect on stocks of whales.. However, the Dominion had a deep interest in the matter by virtue of its administration of the j*oss Dependency. Before the signing of nhe convention a very close investigation was made into the general conditions of whale stocks throughout the world and into the industry generally. A conference which was held as; a* preliminary to the conclusion of tlici investigation was attended by reprtitsmtatives-of the principal countries involved. B could therefore be considered international in its scope. The principal object of the convention was the conservation of the species and it was sought to achieve this by various prohibitions and regulations, which it was proposed to put into legislative form. The Minister said definite evidence of general depletion of whole stocks had been obtained by the Imperial authorities. As a result the oquiioii for pelagic whaling—the taking and treating of whales by factories at sea—in all. waters south of 40 degrees south had., during the coming season, been restricted to the period from December 1. 1935, to March 15, 1936.