PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
THCO. 885
22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE [. BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC.
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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the other countries in the above list are stated to have no interest whatever in the industry.
The following countries are arranged according to the continents in which their central government is situated.
EUROPE.
Denmark.-One Danish company (capital £8,330) operating off the Faroe Islands-has paid no dividend for more than six years. No information as to catch or number of ships.
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France. No interests at present. Legislation is expected some time this year (1913) to revive the system of encouraging French whalers by bonuses.
A Commission has been sitting in Paris to draft a bill for the regulation of the whale fisheries from the French Colonies.
One Norwegian company operates three steam whalers and a floating factory off Cape Lopez in the French Congo. In 1912 about 600 whales were taken.
Messrs. Salvesen and Company have applied for a licence.
Germany.--
--Two companies were in the course of formation in August, 1912, to operate off German South-West Africa, each with a capital of £50,000.
Norway. Capital inrested: £2,173,000, representing 61 companies (1912 figures).
Number of ships: 169 whalers and about 36 floating factories.
Value of catch-Value in sterling not given nor is amount of catch (in barrels of oil) for the same season ascertainable in respect of all the companies; in many cases no information at all is available.
The industry shows a great increase during the past four years. Portugal (Mozambique)-Four companies, one Transvaal and three Nor- Some concessions wegian, operate altogether 12 whalers and two tank vessels."
of coast land have been granted, presumably for shore stations. The invested capital of the four companies is estimated at £202,000, and the value of the catch for three of the companies during 1912 is estimated at £73,192.
(Portuguese West Africa).-Seven companies, of which one in Portuguese, one British (Messrs. Irvin & Co.) and the rest Norwegian, operate altogether 19 or 20 steam whalers, 5 floating factories, and 3 shore stations; 2 more shore stations are being built.
Value of catch not fully stated, but it is estimated that, in 1912, 3,650 whales were killed, and that 60,000 barrels of oil (= 10.000 tons) were produced from 2,100 whales. Most of the carcases were thrown away.
No further concessions are being granted in either locality pending investigation into the whale fishery.
Russia. Not interested to any appreciable extent, and no statistics available. Sweden. No information available, but it is doubtful whether Sweden has interests in the industry.
ASIA.
Japan. Total capital invested. £330,000.
any
Number of steamer's limited to 30; the maximum number was engaged in 1912, and also one sailing vessel.
Estimated ralue of catch in 1907, £228,500; in 1911, £134,350; estimated number of whales caught during the same periods, 1,784 and 1,620, respectively.
AFRICA.
Only European Powers are interested. For French Congo see under France, for German South-West Africa see under Germany, for Portuguese West Africa and Mozambique sec under Portugal.
AMERICA, NORTH.
United States.--The information is rather vague and conflicting. There is a very old sperm-whaling industry operated with little use of harbours, mainly by sailing vessels from New Bedford, Mass., and San Francisco; in the Pacific there is also a new steam-whaling industry operating in the usual way from harbours as bases.
]
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Capital invested. Atlantic Fleet.-No satisfactory figures obtainable, but esti- mated roughly at £61,800.
Pacific (including Alaska).--Estimated at £484,300, representing six companies, in which American, Canadian, and Norwegian interests and capital are involved but are not distinguished. (Two of these companies, representing more than half the total capital, are not yet in operation.)
tons.
Number of ships.-(1) Atlantic fleet: 24 sailing vessels ranging from 85 to 393
(2) Pacific fleet: 13 vessels, of which it is understood that only one steamer and three sailing vessels were operating in 1912. There are also about four steam- whalers in course of construction or recently finished.
(3) Alaska. Two steam-whalers and a floating factory; five steam-whalers, three floating factories, and a shore station in course of construction.
Value of catch-Total figures for 1908 (official figures), $497,000 (this is for oil -sperm and whale-and whale-bone).
Approximately calculated total for 1911 (unofficial sources), $231,000.
AMERICA, CENTRAL.
Mexico.--A concession has been granted in October, 1912, to Andreas Inge- brigtsen authorising the employment of four vessels, or more on the payment of additional fees. The La Pescadora " Company hold a general fishing concession which entitles them to take whales, but are not known to have done so.
Panama. No capital invested in the industry. A small tax is charged for a licence to catch whales in the home waters, which have been occasionally visited by a Chilian vessel.
AMERICA, SOUTH.
Argentina.There is no whaling in Argentine waters and the only whaling company is the Cia. Argentina de Pesca, which holds a British lease in South Georgia. Its capital is £40,000, but its undertaking is now of considerably greater value. It has paid an average dividend of 28 per cent. in the last four years.
Brazil. One British firm is operating near Bahia but has only one steam- whaler. Its average catch is estimated at 200 whales annually.
A Norwegian firm is starting.
Whales are said to be plentiful.
Chile. The "Sociedad Ballenera" of Punta Arenas holds a British licence for the South Shetlands and Graham's Land, but works also in Chilian waters.
It owns five whalers and two floating factories. Its capital is £60,000 and the annual value of the catch is believed to be under-estimated at £40,000.
There are also whaling.companies at Ancud and Corral, but no particulars with regard to them have yet been received.
Colombia.-No Colombian capital is invested in the industry, but whales are to be met with on the Pacific coast.
Peru. -Whaling has been made the exclusive privilege of Peruvian citizens, but is not now carried on.
Uruguay. No Uruguayan vessels are engaged in the industry nor is any Uruguayan capital known to be invested in it.
18 March, 1913.
9256
SIR,
No. 22.
INDIA OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received 19 March, 1913.)
India Office, Whitehall, London, S.W.,
18th March, 1913. WITH reference to your letter of the 14th March,* I am directed to inform you that, so far as is known at this Office, India has little direct interest in the protection and preservation of whales and the whaling industry, though the smaller
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