WHALE FACTORY SHIP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21772, 11 October 1932, Page 10

WHALE FACTORY SHIP

SIR JAMES CLARK ROSS ARRIVAL AT WELLINGTON (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, October 10. The whaling ship Sir James Clark Ross arrived at Wellington this morning to load stores, etc., before leaving to-morrow for Stewart Island to pick up her chasers. No labour will be engaged in New Zealand. CURTAILMENT OF OPERATIONS QUOTA AGREEMENT ADOPTED. . Owing to the curtailing of whaling due to over-supply of whale oil, the Sir James Clark Ross is understood to be the only whaling factory ship to call at New Zealand this season. Captain 0. Nilsen, who served in the old Sir James Clark Ross and the C. A. Larsen, retains command of the Sir James Clark Ross, which last visited Wellington in October, 1930, on her maiden voyage to the Ross Sea, In a recent circular of Hambros Bank reference is made to the position of the Norwegian whaling industry, the companies engaged in which are resuming operations in the forthcoming 1932-33 season. The writer recalls that in consequence of the considerable over-produc-tion of whale-oil during the season SI all Norwegian whaling companies agreed not to operate during the following season, 1931-32. The greater part of the unsold production from the season 1930-31, amounting to about 900,000 barrels, or 150,000 tons, was entered into a sales pool, which during the last 12 or 15 months has disposed of such quantities as to leave an unsold position by the middle of August of about 250,000 barrels, equalling 42,000 tons. Of the quantities disposed of, the Unilever concern has taken about 23,500 tons, and other European buyers, including Russia, about 84,000 tons. In regard to the coming season’s operations, it is stated that a quota agreement has been entered into by all Norwegian and foreign whaling companies operating in the Antarctic, except the Unilever Company, according to which the production will be limited to the mean figure between the production of 1930-31 and the carrying capacity of all the factories, less a reduction of 38 per cent. Under this quota agreement the estimated production for the coming season will be about 1,800,000 barrels—i.e., about 300,000 tons. The season will begin on October 20, that is, about six weeks later than the 1930-31 season. Only one sale of prospective catches has been reported so far, this amounting to between 15,000 and 16,000 tons.

The estimated complement of ships will be 18 or 19 floating factories, of which 10 or 11 will fly the Norwegian flag and eight will fly foreign flags. The' greater number of these factories are large modern factories. The estimated number of shooting steamers will be 115 to 120, and the crews will number about 5000 men, which is approximately half of the number employed during the 1930-31 season. The Oslo correspondent of The Times reported that after the meeting of the Whaling Companies’ Association on August 30, it was officially stated that a sales agreement had been reached by all Norwegian and foreign producers of Antarctic whale oil except Hector and Toensberg Whaling. Until a definite agreement is drawn up no company is entitled to pursue sales negotiations independently.