54
Dependency, together with a copy of his further report summarising the results of the season which has just terminated.
2. You will realise from these enclosures the difficulties experienced in whaling round the ice-bound shores of those islands in the prevailing low temperature and unfavourable local conditions.
I have, &c.,
Enclosure 2 in No. 24.
W. L. ALLARDYCE,
Governor.
The GOVERNMEnt RepresentaTIVE AND CUSTOMS OFFICER, South Orkneys, to the COLONIAL SECRETARY.
SIR,
S.S. "Falkland," March 17th, 1913.
I HAVE the honour to report as follows on the whaling at the South Orkneys for the season 1912-1913.
The season proper commenced with the first days of January and closed on Previous to this, the floating March 11th, a fishing period of about ten weeks. factories were lying off the north of the islands for a considerable time waiting for The "Falkland," which was the first to arrive, the break up of the pack ice. reached the edge of the ice on November 20th; two more factories arrived in mid- December, and the fourth on the 1st of January, when it was just possible to get in to the land. While waiting for the ice to break up, the factories commenced fishing, and, altogether, about 2,000 barrels of oil were obtained before getting into harbour. There is little doubt that this season has been an exceptionally bad one so far as ice conditions are concerned, and this is corroborated by the fact that the past year has been the coldest yet recorded at the meteorological station on Laurie Island. Throughout January even the pack ice caused much trouble, and by the end of that month the best part of the season had gone. It is probable that the factories could get into harbour in mid-December if it was an open season, but even It is quite in the most open season they can hardly expect to get in before this date. possible to remain longer at the end of the season, but the weather conditions are so uncertain that to stay after March 15th is not an attractive prospect to the hardiest whaler. In the most open seasons the factories may be able to remain in harbour for fourteen weeks, but a stay of about twelve weeks is more likely to be the average length of the season.
The catch and oil yield for the floating factories is as follows:-
55
bad weather combined form serious disadvantages which will prevent those islands from ever becoming a popular or highly profitable whaling ground.
The most unfortunate feature of the South Orkneys is the absence of safe harbours for vessels the size of a floating factory. The best known harbour and the safest yet found is in the south of Powell Island, but it is only large enough for one small floating factory. In such a short season the whalers have little time to go seeking for harbours, and it is possible that more harbours may yet be dis- covered. The question of safe harbours is a most vital one in many respects. Had the floating factories been anchored in different parts of the islands this season, instead of being close together, the season's results would probably have been much better.
Whaling at the South Orkneys under the conditions prevailing is different, or will be different, from whaling anywhere else. Next season, and in the future, at least one-fifth of the catch will be obtained while the vessels are waiting for the pack ice to break up. This season the system adopted when whales were plentiful was wasteful in the extreme. It was like taking the cream and throwing away the milk. Only the blubber was utilised and sometimes not all of that, while the huge valuable carcases were allowed to go on the beach. An ordinary factory can utilise a large part of the carcase, but when whales are very plentiful it pays much better to take the blubber only. If the managers have a free hand and whales are plen- tiful, there will always be enormous wastage. But surely something can be done to compel the companies to be less wasteful. Were the Government to decide that the carcases must be utilised. I believe that the present licence-holders would be willing to do this. It could be done by means of an additional floating factory or a land station, and it might be advisable then to grant the companies the use of an addi- tional steam whaler. Allowing each company a third steam whaler would mean a larger number of whales caught annually, but this would be counterbalanced by the greater return from all the whales. In some such way as this I believe that the whaling industry at the South Orkneys could be put on a sound and profitable basis for both the licence-holders and the Government.
The Honourable
16978
The Colonial Secretary,
Stanley.
I am, &c.,
WM. MOYES.
Species of Whale.
Total.
Factory.
Number of Barrels of Oil.
Blue.
Fin. Humpback.
"Tioga" (wrecked on 4 February)... "Falkland"
127
4,700
9.1
231
44
369
"Thule" "Normanna
36
86
22
1-1-4
."
69
125
72
266
Total
199
442
138
779
12,600 + 407 4,431 + 500 9,000 + 489
26,031 + 1,396*
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference →
LCO 885
22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
No. 25.
CANADA.
THE ACTING GOVERNOR-GENERAL to THE SECRETARY OF STATE, (Received 19 May, 1913.)
(Confidential.)
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to forward, herewith, for your information, copies of a letter from the Department of External Affairs, dated 6th May, 1913, respecting the suggested International Conference for the protection of whales.
Reference to previous despatch, Colonial Office, Confidential, 8 April.”
I have, &c.,
Government House, Ottawa, 8 May, 1913.
C. FITZPATRICK,
• Denotes number of barrels saved from S.S. "Tiuga,"
Two notable features are the absence of right whales and the small number of humpbacks. The fin whale, of course, is the one that is supposed to be most abundant on nearly all whaling grounds. Around Saddle Island, in Iceberg Bay, and on the south-west side of Coronation Island, are the places where most of the whales were caught. While we lay among the ice whales were seen in very large numbers, and during January the fishing was exceptionally good. Whales were scarce in February and fairly plentiful again in March. The weather was excellent in December and January, bad in February and good in March, and there is little doubt that the number of whales seen and caught in any given period bears a direct relation to the weather prevailing during that period. So far as the number of whales visiting the islands is concerned, no one can deny that the South Orkneys are a good whaling ground, but the short season, lack of safe harbours, and the
Enclosure in No. 25.
Administrator.
From DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS to GOVERNOR-General's SECRETARY. SIR,
Ottawa, 6th May, 1913. REFERRING to the Confidential despatch to the Administrator from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, dated the 8th April, 1913, on the subject of the suggested International Conference for the protection of whales, I have the honour to enclose herewith copy of a letter from the Department of Marine and Fisheries supplying the information asked for in the third paragraph of Mr. Harcourt's
Reminder of No. 7.