PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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Reference :-
CO. 885
22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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SCHEDULE B.
WHALING: SOUTH GEORGIA.
The following statement shows the total production of oil, &c., with approxi mate values, obtained from the whale catch (5,681 whales) at South Georgia, during the half-year dating from the 1st October, 1911, to the 31st March, 1912-
Tönsberg Whaling Co. (also floating 28,700 | 57,400
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the protection and preservation of whales, I have the honour to enclose herewith copy of letter under date 14th August, from the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, reporting fully upon this matter. There are also enclosed two copies each of Cap. 3. 1903, Cap. 10, 1904, Cap. 21, 1906, and Cap. 24, 1907,* being amendments to the Whaling Act, 1902. The original Act, Cap. 11, 1902, is, I regret to say, out of print, and there is not even a spare copy of the bound Statutes of that year available. I have no doubt however that the Secretary of State can see the Act in the Colonial Office Library. Herewith will also be found a copy of the whaling certificate* issued under the provisions of the Statute. No certificates have been issued since March,
Your Excellency's Ministers have considered the report of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, and fully concur in the suggestions which he has made.
I beg to return to Your Excellency herewith the original despatch, with enclosures.
I have, &c.,
1905.
Production.
Name of Company,
Total Valge
Oil.
Value Balaen. Value. Quatio. Valus,
Shore Factories.
Cia Argentina de Pesca
Barrels. 36,461
South Georgia Co., Ltd.
33,180
£ Tune. 82,037 26 66,360 13
5
་
factory).
Ocean Whaling Co.
19,372
48,430
3
150 10,832 6,500
£ Bags. £ 1,100 Nil Nil 83,137 ́ 2,600 13,938 5,572 71,332
3,500 4,000
1,400 62,800
55,080
Floating Factories.
His Excellency
Sandefjord Whaling Co. (2)
23,700 69,990
16
1,100
Nil
Nil
71,090
Bryde & Dahl (1)
19,500 58,500
10
1,700
Nil.
Nil
60,200
Southern Whaling Co. (1)
5,330 15,096
6
500
2,000
1,400
16,996
Condor Co., Ltd. (floating factory..
"Nor.") (1).
5,600 8,400 Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
8,400
Lars Christiansen (floating factory,
475
1,190
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
1.190
· Vik.") (2).
SIR,
Totals
| 172,318 | 407,403
81
11,150
30,270
14,872 | 433,425
(1) Arrangement with the Compania Argentina de l'esca to utilise part of the flenched caroasses of whales. quantity of oil was taken from 766 such carcasses, averaging over 7 barrels of oil from each.
(2) Extracted from a few flenched carcasses received from the Tonaberg Whaling Company.
The above
J. INNES WILSON,
Magistrate.
South Georgia,
20th May, 1912.
35053
No. 14.
NEWFOUNDLAND.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(Received 6 November, 1912)
(Confidential.)
SIR,
Government House, St. John's, 22 October, 1912. REFERRING to your Confidential despatch of 11th July, 1912,* in relation to the question of the protection and preservation of whales, I have the honour to transmit a copy of a letter from the Colonial Secretary forwarding a report by the Minister of Marine and Fisheries on the subject.
SIR,
I have, &c.,
RALPH WILLIAMS.
Enclosure in No. 14.
Colonial Secretary's Office,
St. John's, Newfoundland, October 15, 1912. REFERRING to despatch, Confidential, of date 11th July last, from the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in relation to the question of
• No. 7.
Sir Ralph Williams, K.C.M.G., &c., &c., &c.
R. WATSON,
Colonial Secretary.
Department of Marine and Fisheries,
St. John's, Newfoundland, August 14, 1912. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th instant. enclosing original despatch, Confidential, of date 11th July, from the Right Honour able the Secretary of State for the Colonies, regarding the question of protection and preservation of whales.
In reply, I beg to state that the returns for 1911 give 8 factories, employing 8 steamers small whaling vessels-for killing and towing to the factories, and that 335 whales were captured, as compared with 384 in 1910, 518 in 1909, 396 in 1908. and 481 in 1907. Of these 335, 7 were sperm, 259 finbacks, 39 sulphurs, and 36 humpbacks. For the present year's fishery, now in operation, 8 whaling steamers are engaged. There are no floating factories similar to those employed in the southern fisheries operating in Newfoundland waters.
One steamer, the "Lloydsen," is fitted out as a floating factory, but does her own killing, and does not employ any smaller steamers to kill for her or act as tenders. She is connected with a shore factory. The same necessity for floating factories does not exist in this Colony as in others, as good harbours and sites for factories are easily available throughout the Island.
I would therefore recommend for this reason, and on account of the enormous waste which must necessarily occur in these floating factories, and also because of the greater range of destruction of which they are capable, that no further licence for floating factories be issued by the Government of Newfoundland.
The laws and regulations governing the whaling industry are contained in Cap. XI., 2 Edward VII, entitled "An Act to Regulate the Whaling Industry " (copy enclosed). All factories operating are required to utilise the whole carcase. One steamer only was formerly permitted for each factory. This Regulation is not now in force. All whales must be taken by means of harpoon and line attached to the boat from which the whale is killed. Formerly, each factory had to pay a licence fee of $1,500.00 per annum. This was afterwards reduced to $750.00 per annum, and abolished altogether some years ago. Having complied with the require- ments of the Act, there is no term of years mentioned in the licence for each factory. The capital invested in the Newfoundland whaling industry is practically all British, and of that the greater portion is Newfoundland owned. The companies have availed of the greater skill of Norwegian whalers and employ them on their vessels. For economic reasons they are also preferred. The shore and factory crews are all British. It is estimated that the amount of capital at present in use in these ventures is $575,000.00, while a conservative estimate shows that some 1,000,000 dollars have been lost in the various whaling companies which have ceased to operate.
•
Cap. XXIV, 1907, only reprinted: see Appendix.
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