HEAVY SLAUGHTER.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18849, 11 April 1931, Page 17

HEAVY SLAUGHTER.

WHALING IN SOUTHERN SEAS. TALLOW PRICES AFFECTED. Stating that the unlimited slaughter of whales in the Ross Sea was Jiaving a detrimental effect on the New Zealand tallow market at Home, Mr 11. £. S. Johnstone, of Otaio. moved the following motion at yesterday’s meeting of the Committee of the Timaru Agricultural and Pastoral Association: “That in view of the low price of tallow, for which the present excessiva isupplies of whale oil are largely responsible, this Association urges the Government to take immediate stepa to prevent the unlimited slaughter of whales in the Ross Sea Dependencies, and consider a close season for whales, followed by a '(large increased royalty on whale oil, and a strict limit to the catch each season, together with sufficient supervision to assure that the limit is not being exceeded. This would result in a better price for tallow and also an increased permanent revenue from the whale oil industry of the Ross Sea Dependencies.” Mr Johnstone said that the Ross Sea Dependencies came under the jurisdiction of New Zealand in 1923. For the season 1923-24. 17,791 barrels of whale oil were secured, wTiile during the 1929-30 season this amount had increased to 169,190 barrels. The total takes of whale oil from the Ross Sea Dependencies between the years 192330 were 573,146 barrels. Taking the 1930 catch of 169.190 barrels at £2O per ton, which was a low estimate of the price received, Mr Johnstone said that this had yielded a gross return of £563,000, for which in royalties and license fees, the New Zealand Government had received only £7,870. Extermination rearea. “Taking the whole of .the southern ocean, and not the Ross Sea Dependencies only into consideration, it will be found,’ continued Mr Johnstone, “that during the 1931 season upwards of forty factory ships killed 45,000 whales, which yielded 3,500,000 barrels of oil, estimated to be worth £15,000,000. Most of these whales were killed outside the area of the Ross Sea. If this indiscriminate slaughter of whales is allowed to continue unchecked, the result will very soon be the extermination of whales altogether.” Mr Johnstone said he considered that the remedy was to “farm” the Ross Sea which was the best whaling area, and which was a Dependency of the Government of New Zealand, and thus make it produce a reasonable revenue for the country for ever, by strictly limiting the catch each year, and by taking an infinitely higher royalty and license fee. It would be altogether necessary to declare a close season at least for next year, and thereafter apply the remedy he had suggested. The present license fee -was £2OO a year for each, factory ship, and a royalty of 2/6 per barrel for each barrel of oil in excess of 20,000 barrels. “This is a mere bagatelle when the returns from this industry are considered,” he said. Tallow Prices Down. “As affecting tallow prices, I would point out that the following were the prices for different grades of tallow for the years named,” said Mr Johnstone: — 1928: First grade mutton tallow, 42/6 to 45/-; gut tallow: 36/- to 38/9. 1929: 43/- to 46/6; 37/- to 40/-. 1930: 26/9 to 38/624/6 to 35/-. 1931: 20/- to 23/-: 17/- to 18/-. These prices, he said, were at per cwt., c.i.f.e., London. Taking the years 1928-29, Mr Johnstone said that 21,352 tons of tallow were exported, the total ' ilue being £719,000. There were no figures available as yet for the current year, but taking the 21.352 tons of tallow exported in 1928-29 at £719,000, and, assuming that the same quantity of tallow was exported for the current year, then the* "'value of this year’s tallow at the reduced figures, would be in the vicinity of £340,000. The loss, therefore, which was likely to be sustained on tallow this year was about £380,000. while pbout £500,000 worth of whale oil was to be taken at a return to New* Zealand of merely £7871. In seconding the motion, Mr B. E. H. Tripp congratulated Mr Johnstone for bringing the matter forward. He endorsed all that the previous speaker had said.. The motion was carried' unanimously, and it was agreed to send a copy of the resolution to the following: The Prime Minister, the Minister of Marine, the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Minister In Charge of the Department of Industrial and Scientific Research, the Freezing Companies, A. and P. Associations, Farmers’ any other interested bodies.