WHALING VENTURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22719, 4 November 1935, Page 12

WHALING VENTURE

JAPANESE FOR ANTARCTIC (From Oun Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, October 24. From the Land of the Rising Sun, a whaling motor-ship, with five whalechasers, is now in - port in Sydney, on their way to the Land of the Frozen South. This represents the first Japanese venture in whaling in southern waters, and continuance in the industry will depend on the results of this expedition. The fleet has called here for fuel and stores. The ships will spend five months in southern whaling waters. Tlie mother ship, the Tonan . Mqru, which is of 9500 tons gross register, was purchased from Norwegian owners last year. The vessel spent some months in the Antarctic on her way to Osaka, and the Japanese crew received tuition in whaling from skilled Norwegians. The vessel was then refitted for the present cruise, and additional speedy whalechasers were purchased. A typical factory ship, the Tonan Maru has the huge slipway in her stern through which whales caught by the chasers will be hauled aboard for treatment. The crew of the mother ship and tlie small, whale-chasers numbers' 350. the. majority of whom,' including the captain, are visiting tlie Antarctic for the first time. It is anticipated that the expedition Will secure about 9000 tons' of whale oil, necessitating the capture of. approximately 900 whales. After leaving Sydney, the fleet will not be in port again for at least five months. Arrange- ' ments have been made for the ships to . be, refuelled while they are in southern waters. The British steamer Southern King has been chattered for the purpose, and will load coal at Cardiff in December next, which will be transferred-later to the Tonan Maru. The Southern King will ship about 4000 tons of whale oil for the United Kingdom after bunker- ' ing the mother ship. The master of the Tonan Maru (Cap-; tain Onla) has been in command of ships in northern waters for the last' nine years employed in deep-sea crab trawling and canning. He emphasised that the whaling expedition was essentially experimental. ‘ It was the first ' time, lie said, that the,: Japanese had attempted to exploit the southern whaling waters. ■ His ship is fitted with al) modern whaling devices, and will be in con-': stant touch with the owners in Osaka' by radio. Two doctors are on board,;. ,and the ships are fitted, to provide the maximum amount of recreation for tlie crew. In addition to the captain, the Tonan Maru carries a business manager, • who attends to the financial side of the expedition. I The Tonan Maru carries, apart from provisions, spare harpoons for the harpoon guns of the chasers. They are equipped with detachable tops, which, filled with cordite, will explode inside the whale. On her after deck she has about 59 fowls, to supply the crew with eggs. ..... . w.;.- ■■ ■-