APPENDICES.
49
SIR,
APPENDIX II.
Letter from Messrs. DAVID GEDDES & Sox.
45, Renfield Street,
Glasgow.
27th May, 1914.
REVERTING to your valued favour of 23rd ult., we have communicated with a number of the whaling companies that we represent, and you will have received communications direct from the Norwegian Union of Whaling Companies, Sandefjord, The Southern Whal. ing & Sealing Co., Ltd., of North Shields, and the Southern Cross Whaling Co., Ltd.. Cape Town, We have not yet received replies from all of the companies for whom we act, but the consensus of opinion seems to be that the whaling industry will regulate itself, as the companies that are unsuccessful will drop out, while those able to make profit will continue operations. and that legislation or restrictions might seriously injure the industry, which has already great expenses and uncertainties to contend with; and so far as the preservation of the whale is concerned it would appear to be quite unnecessary to take any steps in this direc- tion, as they can never be exterminated. Before this could happen whaling would be quite unprofitable, and would have to be abandoned. It would, however, be a benefit to the industry, and tend to make it more permanent if an international arrangement could be made, viz :-
SIB,
(1) Not to grant any more licences for waters where whaling has already been started, so that the existing companies might have a fair chance of escaping an amount of competition that makes operations unprofitable to all.
(2) That Humpback or other Baleen whales under 30 ft. long should not be killed, and that the carcases of all whales killed should be used up entirely, and that whaling should be prohibited in waters that the whales only visit to calve. We beg to enclose copies of evidence given before the Dominions Royal Commission, Durban, that have been sent to us, in case you may not have seen this, and find it of interest. Mr. Bearpark advises us that he is prepared to give technical evidence to your Committee if desired.
We sell a considerable proportion of the whale oil produced in different parts of the world, and if you desire particular information with regard to the various uses of whale oil and extent to which British industry is engaged, we shall be glad to endeavour to furnish the information if you will kindly state more exactly what is required.
Mr. F. Cook, Managing Director of the Southern Cross Whaling Co., who has sent you a statement direct, of which he sent us a copy, has asked us to represent his company at any meeting that may take place.
We shall be much pleased if you will kindly keep ne informed of the progress that has been made and any decisions that have been come to by the Committee, and oblige.
We are, &c.,
DAVID GEDDES & SON.
The Secretary,
Inter-departmental Whaling Committee,
Colonial Office,
Downing Street,
Se pp. 322-9 of [Cd. 7706] December 1914.
APPENDIX III.
Letter from Mr. H. KROGH HANSEN.
Sandefjord,
12th May 1914.
WITH reference to the Committee recently appointed by the British Government to consider the question of regulating the whaling industry, we beg permission to submit the following information bear- ing on this industry and the conditions under which it is carried on at South Shetland, South Georgia, and South Orkneys. At all these places the Norwegiatis have, at considerable expense, established whaling
■tations, equipped with elaborate and costly apparatus. and any new laws affecting the regulation of this industry might easily prove fatal to the trade, unless the extremely difficult local conditions, and the enor mona working expenses and risk involved, are taken into careful consideration by the Committee.
As far back as the early nineties the Norwegians turned their attention to the South Sea whaling. In 1893-4 the Norwegian sealer Jason undertook an expedition for the purpose of sealing, as well as for exploring the conditions for whaling, in South Georgia and South Shetlands, and in 1894-5 the Juson, ibe Hertha, and the Castor were despatched for the same purpose. The Norwegian captain, C. A. Larsen, who had formerly commanded the Jason and the Antarctic, belonging to Professor Nordenskjold's Antarctic Expedition, and had thus ample opportunities for gain- ing information regarding the abundance of whales in southern regions, went out to South Georgia in the autumn of 1904 to found a whaling industry there. In the autumn of 1905 the floating factory Admiralen, accom-
London.
panied by whaling boats, was despatched in charge of Mr. Alexander Lange, arriving at Admiralty Bay, South Shetland. in January, but leaving the fishing ground again as early as February, because at that time very little was known of the ice and weather conditions in those regions.
At the South Orkneys whaling was not started until 1911, when the boats belonging to the Rethval" Company succeeded in getting their floating factory through the ice into a fairly suitable harbour. In the preceding year another company had endeavoured to do so, but the ice prevented their vessel reaching the islands. The conditions here, however, are so unfavour. able that it is very doubtful whether whaling opera- tions can be continued.
As already mentioned, Captain Larsen formed a company for whale fishing at South Georgia in the autumn of 1904, starting operations in 1905, and sub- sequently another company, the Sandefjordes Hvalfan geri, in charge of Mr. Castberg, commenced fishing there. These companies were quickly succeeded by five others, and at the present time seven companies are operating at South Georgia, of which two are English, one Argentine, and four Norwegian. The fishing may be carried on for the greater part of the year, and the land conditions permit of the erection of whaling stations ashore. Such stations have now been established by most of the companies, after experi- menting with floating factories. The arrangements both aflat and ashore have been improved upon year by year, with the object of utilising as much as possi ble of the carcases of the whales. Besides making use
of all the blubber, a considerable amount of meat and bone is being boiled down for the production of oil, and large quantities of guano are also being produced.
At South Shetland, the Admiralen was succeeded by other expeditions, and ten different companies are at present operating there, of which one is English, one Chilian, and the rest Norwegian. To begin with, the vessels got as far as Deception Island, where there is a From there trips were made to Belgica good barbour. Straits, of which at that time very little was known, and the chart very defective. The whaling boats fre- quently grounded and met with other troubles, but gradually the waters have become better known, and the companies have ventured farther and farther towards the south. Several harbours, more or leas good, have been discovered by the whalers, and during the last three or four years floating factories have ven. tured down into Belgica Straita.
The whole of the land in South Shetland and Graham's Land is covered by glaciers, and for this reason it is impossible to erect factories aahore; con. aequently the whaling has to be done by the aid of floating factories. Deception Island is an exception as regards glaciers, and a big station has been erected there for the utilisation of the carcases. Floating fac- turies were not much in use before their introduction At the start into the whale fishing at South Shetland. vessels from 2,000 to 3,000 tons d.w. were used, and these were principally fitted for blubber boiling only. Steamers of 6.000 to 8,000 tons, equipped with large blubber and meat boilers, are now being employed.
The smaller factories have gradually been done away with, and larger steamers with better equipment have taken their place, entailing much heavier expense upon the respective companies. The carcases are now being more largely utilised, as they are boiled down for oil, and experiments are being made with drying apparatus for the manufacture of guano on board the factories. On account of ice obstructions, as well as the severe cold, and the dark and stormy weather, the operations are only possible from the beginning or middle of November until the end of March or the first days of April.
In South Georgia any strict regulations enforcing the utilisation of the entire whale (similar to those in force for Ireland, the Hebrides, and North Shetland) would be dangerous to the whole whaling industry. The occurrence of whales is subject to great fluctus- tions; at one period there may be large numbers and shortly afterwards very few. The companies should be permitted to make as much oil as possible during the short period when whales are plentiful, and when there is no time or opportunity to attend to the utilisation of the less valuable parts of the carcases. The industry could not stand the extra expense involved in fitting out the factories with the necessary hands and plant for dealing with all the carcases at the height of the busy season. If any such regulations were enforced it would mean that for a great part of the season a large number of hands and a considerable portion of the
SIB,
plant could not be utilised, and thus the business could not be worked on a payable basis. At the same time, the companies are doing all in their power to work up as much of the whale as possible, and their efforts in this direction are steadily increasing.
With regard to South Shetland, any regulations enforcing the utilisation of the whole whale would be ruinous. Owing to the short season. the heavy expenses, and the limited space in the floating fac tories, it would be actually impossible to carry on the whaling industry at these islands if such regulations were enforced. The working expenses connected with a modern floating factory and three whalers on a fish- ing expedition to South Shetland would be about 33,000l. to 40,0001, during one season, and it would be impossible to make the fishing yield this amount when forced to utilise everything.
In accordance with the new regulations for South Shetland and South Orkneys, all floating factories which are desirous of using three whalers must have twelve meat boilers of certain dimensions. This falla very heavily upon some of the companies, because in some cases it cannot be complied with for want of deck space. They are thus confronted with the option of either providing a new large factory or fitting out two factories, and in each case heavy expenses are entailed.
The companies are desirous of conforming with the regulations prohibiting the pursuit of mother whales found in company with their calves, and will give their gunners instructions to comply with these regulations. Gravid whales are caught at various times with the foetuses differently developed, amall and big fœtuses being found at the same time, so that in the majority of whales there is no limited time of the year when wilation takes place, and any regulations for a close
tise.
on in respect of gravidity would therefore be of Some people have expressed the opinion that the extensive pursuit of whales is bound to bring about extermination, but everyone acquainted with the pre- vailing conditions of the whaling industry knows such a contention to be untenable, because the heavy work. ing expenses would cause a company to stop operations in any notable immediately the catches decreased degree. Experience proves that the South Sea fishing can only be carried on as long as there are whales in abundance, and should the whaling cause a diminution of the stock to such an extent as to render the industry no longer remunerative, there would still remain large numbers of whales in the regions where whaling is now carried on.
I have, &c.,
H. KROGH HANSEN, By authority of "Den Norske Hvalfangerforening." O. G. R. Williams, Es..
Secretary of the Inter-departmental Whaling
Committee,
APPENDIX IV.
Colonial Office,
Whitehall, London.
Letter from Messrs. Can. SALVESEN & COMPANY.
29, Bernard Street, Leith,
12th May 1914.
WITH reference to your letter of the 1st instant, and our reply of the 2nd, we have the honour to in- form you that our Mr. T. E. Salvesen had a long meet- ing with Dr. Hjort, of Christiania, along with Mr. H. Krogh Hansen, of Tönsberg, a director in several Nor- wegian whaling companies, on the 6th instant, in Lon- don. He went through the material which these gentle men and we ourselves had gathered, and found that our opinions on the different questions mooted were exactly similar.
■ (6)20410-Ev 1 &c
Under these circumstances we consider that it would be superfluous for one of our firm to appear before your Committee, and perhaps you will agree with us that it would be sufficient to state that we conour with the evidence led by Dr. Hjort, and that we are willing to assist in gaining further information regarding whales, which we consider absolutely necessary before any steps could be taken. We have, etc.,
CHR. SALVESEN & Co.
The Secretary
Inter-departmental Whaling Committee,
Colonial Office,
• Not printed.
Downing Street, London.
D
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference:
CO. 885
23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
50
WHALING COMMITTEE: