THE WHALING INDUSTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14457, 25 February 1909, Page 8

THE WHALING INDUSTRY.

PROJECTED REVIVAL,

(Feou Oue Own Cortiespondknt.) [ _ AUCKLAND, February 24. There is a proposal ou foot to establish i a whaling station on Norwegian methods , at Campbell Island, and Mr 11. ,1. p, u |l, > of Clirisfiania, Norway, is at present iii 1 Auckland m this connection. Your represcntativo had a most interesting interview witli him on the subject. Mr Dull was (he commercial leader on board the ship Antarctic, which voyaged to (he mainil'ni " f tl '? = TO,t Antarctic continent in 1894, and ho and his comrades were the ■irst men ever to set fool in that practically unknown, ico-bound country. That expedition carried on whaling and'eealiii" and made numerous interesting discoveries' . besides having some thrilling adventures on the ice, as recorded by Jlr Cull himself m Ins well-known book "Tho Cruise oi the Antarctic." Not content with Ids adventurous experiences in the Antarctic, iWi Hull, in 1006, was on his way in the schooner Catherine to the lonelv Crozet Islands, and the story of the wreck of that vessel and experiences of the ciew afterwards formed a recital which aroused intense interest throughout Australasia when vr i> wl n m thft lll;ws l >il l )ers tarly in 1907 Mr Lull said tho Norwegians 'had taken the lead now in the whaling industry by using small steamers fitted with a sin.rl'e boat, gun, which, in the lands of skilled gunners, would kill ,•„„• whalc-riVht sperm, or fin-back. These small steamers ran out from the shore establishments and when the. whales were killed towed them to the shore station, where the hwe carcases were treated by skilled hand's. Hie blubber was turned into oil, and tho remtander of tho carcase converted into manure after being " tried-out" for oil. Hie whaling industry, conducted on these lines for about 40 years/' said Mr Bull, "proved a great success in northern waters, but the general desire for expansion in commercial undertaking has of We | years pushed tho industry further alieicl, bunco I went on the Antarctic's ex. pedition, when wc got as far south as ildeg in search of riglit whales, no ]c«s ban a dozen whaling companies have taken up whaling in the southern seas— notably at Falkland Islands, South Shetland and South Georgia, awl more recently at the Iverguelens. Enterprising Norwegians'-have had an eye to the promis"mg holds along the coasts of South Africa, and one 0 r two wore companies were being formed m Norwav when I left to i>o in for whaling along the African coast's } he herguelen Company, in which I am interested, will form a- regular station Hie expedition has taken a vast store of materials, some horses and sheen, and it is intended that the men, who'are all Norwegians, shall be hitcr ou joined by their wives," J Asked more particularly about the Australian and New Zealand waters, Mr Bull replied: "In fact, the onlv fields where modern whaling has not been introduced are m Australian rind New Zealand waters It is only a question of a vear or two, I should think, before the report of the big whaling £,„„ wi n lje hca ,. ( , mm(l these coasts, where the whale-fishin- on modern lints will prove, I hope, <is°sucoessful as it has in other regions of the Southern Hemisphere. I know from experience during the cruise in the Antarctic that, whales are not a scarcity in these waters. My attention is particularly l.x«l on tho islands south of Now Zealand. These seas were visited bv the Antarctic m 1894, and the captain' then save no less than 50 right whales vinldin" Whalebone). The Antarctic was not the ship to tackle these wha-!«s; an up-to-date whaling steamer would have secured the better part of the 50. Captain Jensen of the Southern Cross (Newnes's Polar expedition), also saw n large number of right whales off Campbell Island. A . southern right whale yields scwt of whalebone. Sumo have d'ven 15cwt. ami the prices for southern whalebone range from £800 to £2050 a ton." What are your proposals in this conncction? Mr Hull w as asked. "I think that for a start," he replied, one or two of tlw modem small whaling steamers might begin next season (May! June, and July) limiting the right whales for tho whalebone. If that scheme get* on I think more extensive plant mMifhe e.stablishotl-say, at Campbell Iskind-for the treatment of the whole carcase instead of the securing of the whalebone only. Norwegian capital is, of course, interested m the venture, but wc do not intend to come here and reap a harvest, from vour sea without giving New Zealand people an interest in the venture. To ibis end my friends in Norway and myself who are embarking on this scheme 'intend to offer people in New Zealand who care to venture the opportunity to take up about half the shares in the company. I will see later what lesjxiiue is made to this, and, of course, if .\ew Zealndcrs do not take an interest, then I hope New Zcahmlciv, will not object if the Norwegians reap the whole benefit."