WHALING INDUSTRY

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1935, Page 5

WHALING INDUSTRY

INTERNATIONAL REGULATION. NEW ZEALAND AFFECTED. (By Wire— Parliamentary Reporter) Wellington, Last Night. It will be necessary for Parliament to pass legislation this session giving effect to New Zealand’s undertakings in the international convention for the regulation of whaling. The convention was signed at Geneva on September 24, 1931. As published in last week’s Gazette it is a somewhat imposing document with a long list of signatory countries. New Zealand figures largely in arrangement because it is responsible for the administration of the Ross Dependency, where whaling is carried on extensively. Asked to comment on the position today the Minister of Marine, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, said that legislation was now before the Government preparatory to its submission to Parliament designed to carry out New Zealand’s part of the convention. The Dominion was very definitely concerned in the convention as far as it affected ships registered in New Zealand. The whale industry in actual New Zealand territories was on a very small scale when compared with major operations in the Antarctic and other regions. There were only two small stations in New Zealand and one of these was not operating at present. The season in New Zealand waters was limited to covering the period of the seasonal migration from the Antarctic and before the major operations began there. Whaling in New Zealand could, therefore, in itself have little effect on the stocks of whales. The Dominion, however, had a deep interest in the whale subject by virtue of its administration of the Ross Dependency. Before the signing of the 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 the investigation, was attended by representatives of the principal countries involved. It 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: Absolute prohibition of the taking of various species o£ the right whale which had shown definite signs of substantial depletion; licensing under strict conditions of all vessels and factories used in taking and treating whales; regulating remuneration of gunners and crews. in such manner as to exclude remuneration in respect of any whale which was of less length than that prescribed for each species, the taking of which was. to be absolutely prohibited; preparation and supply to the licensing authority of full statistics of all whales taken and yield cf products therefrom; utilisation of the carcase for residual products; heavy penalties for breaches of any Act or regulations passed to give effect to the convention; appointment of whale fishery inspectors to see that the legal requirements were complied with on any ship or shore factory; prevention of pollution of public waters. Speaking of whale stocks, the Minister said that definite evidence of general depletion had been obtained by the Imperial authorities. As a result of the season 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 I, 1935, to March 15, 1936.