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154
APPENDICES,
Number and description of whales killed at South Georgia in the seasons 1909-10 to 1913-14, and number of steam whalers employed in the fishery and their
Humpbacks
Finners ... Blue whales Sei-whales Right whales Sperm whales
Total
Number of whalers employed
Average catch of each whaler
average catches.
Reason.
1909-1910. 1910-1911.
1911-1912,
3,391
1912-1913.
1 13-1914.
5,299
5,100
1
2,251
97
299
1,724
474 1,417
76
208
212
651
90
49
63
4
3
15
བྷཱཧྨ །ཎྞ'
3,516
5,521
5,681
4,196
2,710
? ?
19 290
21 270
21
21
200
129
From this table it will be seen that the total number of whales killed at South Georgia in the season 1913-14 was less than half of the number killed two years before; and that the whalers have had to content themselves with an average catch per boat of only 129 as against one of 270. The whalers at Belmullet, Ireland, told Mr. Burfield that thirty whales per boat was the minimum annual catch which would enable a northern station to run without loss, and that in the south seas, owing to the greater cost of transportation and working, the minimum catch was about three times as much. If this be the fact, and should the catch continue to diminish at South Georgia at anything like the alarming rate indicated by the results of the last two seasons, it is obvious that whaling in the Dependency will cease to be profitable at a moment well within the period of six years from December, 1912, which was computed to be the prospective life of the industry, in the event of the latter being continued on the present lines (p. 152).
The details of the "catches" show that, while the number of humpbacks killed has fallen to less than one-tenth of the number taken in 1911-12, the number of finner and blue whales captured has enormously increased. On the face of it, it would appear that the whalers, having, by the ruthless slaughter of previous years, nearly exhausted the stock of humpbacks, are now devoting themselves to a serious attack the finner and blue whales.
upon
Two questions of grave importance, there- fore, arise from these statistics:-Firstly, has the humpback stock of the South Atlantic been so depleted that a continuance of the chase, in the immediate future. must bring this species to the verge of extinction? Secondly, will the finner and blue whales be able to withstand the attack now beginning, if such attack be per- mitted to develop along the lines of that to which the humpbacks have been subjected? Humpbacks, finners, and blue whales are the only three kinds of whale which are now systematically hunted at South Georgia. It is instructive to examine` the percentage of each of these species in the catch made from them alone in each of the five seasons dealt with.
Beason,
1909 1910.
1910-1911.
1911-1912.
1912-1913, 1913–1914.*
Total number of
humpbacka,
finners and blue whales killed...
3,475
5,472
5,607
4,187
2,542
Total
100
100
Humpbacks
97.5
96.9
100 91
100
100
53.8
18.7
Finners
1.67
1-77
5-33
41.2
55.7
Blue whales
0.75
1.39
3.71
5:07
25-6
* In my
Preliminary Memorandum" it was assumed that the whales examined by Major Barrett- Hamilton at Leith Harbour between 15th November, 1919, and 16th January, 1914, could
be regarded as a fair sample of the catch for the entire season made by all the stations at South Georgia; the probable percentages of humpbacks, finnere, and blue whales were, there- fore, found to be 196, 69-2, and 17-2.
APPENDICES,
155
The statistics all but suffice to prove conclusively that from 1909-10 to 1911-12 the humpback was almost the sole quest of the whalers. The following references carry the matter farther since they show not only that the whalers admitted that the humpback was the chief quarry that they had in view, but that even at the beginning of the season of 1913-14, in spite of the greatly reduced humpback catch of 1912-13, their resolve to take this species if procurable in preference to any other was unchanged.
In his "
Notes" (S.G., No. 94/1912), the Stipendiary says:-"The generally recognized whaling season in the Dependency is from October to March, as it is between those months that the humpback whale comes and goes in large numbers, and it is from this whale that the whale hunter relies to make his 'catch.' Fin- back and blue whale are to be found round the island at all times, but are very seldom hunted during the season when humpbacks can be obtained; this is owing to the fact that humpbacks are ever so much easier to kill and in every way give con- siderably less trouble."
The following is one of the general notes left by Major Barrett-Hamilton:- "The species most hunted at South Georgia are humpbacks, which are preferred to the finners and blue whales. A few sperm and right whales are caught, the former in November and December, the latter when amongst the other whales, but" (according to Mr. Henriksen, the manager of the South Georgia Company)" usually they keep to themselves, north-west of the island, and are not worth hunting, specially there. Though a right whale is three times as valuable as a humpback, the latter are preferred where abundant, because their size is convenient for handling. Similarly, finners and blue whales are not killed if humpbacks can be obtained, being hard to kill and only manageable in fine weather. Blue whales are a bit too large for the tackle if adult. Therefore. South Georgia is primarily a humpback fishery (Henriksen)."
The conversation upon which this note is based took place, of course, during the 1913-14 season.
In a letter to Mr. C. E. Fagan, written at Leith Harbour, and dated 2nd December, 1913, Major Barrett-Hamilton said :-
"This fishery is primarily for humpbacks, and the finners and blue whales are only taken in default of humpbacks. Assuming, as whalers do, that the big herds of humpbacks have not been reduced by over-killing, then they have not arrived here yet for the season. On this point, I shall, no doubt, be able to report later."
In a later letter, dated 11th January, 1914, from Leith Harbour, to Mr. Fagan. Major Barrett-Hamilton said :-
"A lot of whales are being killed, and the season looks like being a good one, but the catch is of finners and blue whales chiefly, not, as formerly, of humpbacks. Unless these latter arrive in greater numbers later on, it will be difficult to avoid the conclusion that the whalers, having killed off the humpbacks, are now doing the same thing to the other whales. But that is a conclusion that I am still trying to avoid, as long as any other explanation can be found."
A similar statement is made in a letter of 12th January, 1914. from Major Barrett-Hamilton to Dr. S. F. Harmer.
In his report upon the season of 1913-14,* the Stipendary says:-
"The past season cannot be termed a successful one when compared with former seasons. This has been owing to the great and continued scarcity of the humpback.
The question has often been debated by the local whalemen as to the real cause of this continual scarcity of the humpback whale. Is it the continual killing that has thinned them down and fright- ened the remainder off? Or in the course of their ocean migration have they merely changed their course for the time being to come back again? The general feeling is hopeful and inclined to take the latter view, although it is really hard to sav. On more than one occasion shipmasters have reported to me schools of humphacks three or four hundred miles off the land. A very reasonable contention is also held that the humpback whale while
* Enclosure in No. 9 in Miscellaneous No. 300.
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