CO885-(21-23) — Page 288

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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January and February, which are summer months there. Most of the whaling there is done in the summer. Existing leases contain no provision for a close season, and the establishment of one would be a serious derogation from the rights of lease- holders, and would give rise to heavy claims for compensation. Accordingly, it seems that His Majesty's Government would not favour a provision for a close season.

Rare species. It has been proposed to prohibit the hunting of particular species which are in danger of extermination. It seems that any such prohibition must be limited to very rare species if it is to be respected. If it were not so limited, and began seriously to affect the whalers' profits, there would be many contraventions which would escape detection. The greater part of the whaling industry is carried on remote from supervision, and it would be to the interest of all concerned to conceal contraventions of the prohibition.

Sundry minor matters.-There are various provisions commonly found in whal ing legislation which may be mentioned. The first is that whales may only be killed by means of a harpoon with a line attached. It would be commercially impracticable to hunt most of the whales now killed in any other way, since, when dead, they sink. It hardly seems worth while to seek to have such a provision adopted internationally merely in order to prevent a waste probably negligible, which might be caused by the pursuit by other means of whales which float when dead, such as the sperm whale. There is nothing to indicate that international agency is needed on other grounds, such as to prevent whales being killed by methods destructive to fish, e.g., dynamite. No such methods appear to be employed in practice.

Another provision found in the Scotch and Irish Acts is that vessels engaged in whaling should carry a distinguishing mark. It may be doubted whether there is any need for the general adoption of this provision.

Provisions intended to prevent whalers from interfering with fishing are common, but can apparently be left to the voluntary action of individual Powers.

Limitation of number of whaling steamers.-The measures so far suggested are to diminish waste and to protect calves, and to a certain extent female whales, but they do nothing to prevent the licensing to take whales of an indefinite number of additional whaling steamers and a consequent indefinite increase in the number of whales killed. Certain Governments, notably those of Japan and of the Falkland Islands, have voluntarily set a limit to the number of licensed steamers. But what little is known of the migration of whales indicates that the problem of their pro- ection can only be effectually solved if at least a considerable number of Powers would agree to adopt a similar policy. There are great difficulties about carrying such a proposal into effect. It would involve the fixing of a maximum limit to the number of whaling steamers which could be licensed by each Power. The number of steamers already licensed for each country could easily be ascertained; but the difficulty would be to induce the Powers in whose waters the whaling industry is still undeveloped voluntarily to set limits to that development. The matter is one of first rate import- ance, and it appears well worth while to make the attempt.

In this connection it may be remarked that, although Norway owns about as many whaling steamers as the rest of the world put together, most of them operate under concessions granted by other nations, and few or none of them are employed in Norwegian waters. Accordingly it might be possible to induce Norway to accept a maximum number of whaling steamers, for whaling in her home waters, very much smaller than the total number she possesses. If a limit is adopted it should apply to all vessels licensed to take whales which are propelled by steam or other form of power. The limit need not apply to sailing vessels, nor to any vessels licensed merely as floating factories.

If it were decided that national vessels of one Power licensed by a second Power for the territorial waters of the second Power are to require a licence for the high seas from the first Power, such licences for the high seas should evidently not count towards the total.

Second Conference. At present many Powers, including the British, will be much hampered in dealing with whaling by the existence of concessions for lengthy periods. It is worth considering whether the first Conference should not be asked to fix a date for the holding of a second Conference, and to agree that all whaling facilities granted or renewed after the first Conference should be made to expire not later than two years after the date fixed for the second Conference. That Confer- ence would thus be enabled to start with a comparatively clean slate.

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Research. The Powers might be asked to express the opinion that scientific research into the habits of whales is much required, and to agree to communicate to one another all scientific reports on this subject which may become available to any of them, either through the diplomatic channel or through one of the existing inter- national bureaux.

Statistical information.-Arrangements might be made for the distribution in a similar manner of copies of enactments relating to whaling, whether enacted in pursuance of the Conference or not, and of statistical information as to whaling enterprises, their plant and steamers, the numbers and kinds of whales caught, and the quantities and values of the products.

Advisers and witnesses. The following might be consulted by the Committee :- The British Museum (Natural History); the High Commissioners for Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa; Mr. T. E. Salvesen, member of a whaling firm with very large interests in South Georgia and elsewhere; Messrs. Irvin and Company, who have interests in South Georgia and South Africa; the Norwegian Embassy.

A list of papers to be laid before the Committee is appended.

19 March, 1913.

E. R. D.

LIST OF PAPERS TO BE LAID BEFORE THE INTER-DEPARTmental Committee on WHALING.

(1) General correspondence with Foreign Office and British Museum. (2) World's production of whale oil (translation from Norwegian), unofficial.* (3) Memorandum on a floating factory (Colonial Office).†

Memorandum on a shore factory (Under-Secretary for Ireland) ‡

(5) Mr. Salvesen's lecture on the whaling industry (report in Journal of Society

of Arts).

(6) Protection of female whales (letter from Magistrate of South Georgia).§

(7) Whaling in the United Kingdom (letter and Memorandum from Board of

Trade).

(8) Whaling in the Dominions (correspondence and summary).

(9) Whaling in the Colonies and uninhabited Possessions**

(a) Falkland Islands and their dependencies (specimen of a South Georgia

lease to be appended).

(b) St. Vincent.

(c) St. Helena.

(d) Heard Islands.

(e) Other places.

(10) Whaling legislation in the British Empire-list of enactments.††

(11) Whaling in foreign countries (summary of replies from His Majesty's repre-

sentatives abroad).#

16046

SIR,

(No. 62.)

No. 24.

FALKLAND ISLANDS.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 12 May, 1913.)

Government House, Stanley, 11th April, 1913. WITH reference to my despatch, No. 28, of 14th February.§§ covering a report on the whaling operations conducted in the waters of the South Orkneys up to the 7th of that month, I have the honour to enclose a copy of the diary kept by Mr. Moyes while acting as Government Representative and Customs Officer in the

• No. 19.

† No. 17. Nos. 7, 14, 15, 18, 20, 22, and 26.

§§ 8956: not printed.

‡ No. 8.

• No. 43.

§ No. 12.

No. 16. tt Bee Appendix. ‡‡ No. 21.

Not printed.