CO885-(23-24) — Page 282

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TCO 885

23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

14

The fact that the South Shetlands have stood the test of killing off the resident varieties and that each season improves upon the last more from the experience of the gunners than the [? number of] whales-should certainly indicate a continuance of successful seasons-until the migration should in one year go wrong, as frequently happens with some of the bird migrations.

5th February, 1914.

31908

A. G. BENNETT,

Deception Island,

63° S. Lat.

No. 9.

FALKLAND

ISLANDS.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 24th August, 1914.)

(No. 102.)

Government House, Stanley, 24th July, 1914. SIR,

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 51 of the 17th June,* requesting an early transmission of the report on the whaling operations in South Georgia from the 1st October, 1913, to the 31st March, 1914.

2. I have just received the report in question from Mr. Innes Wilson, the Stipendiary Magistrate, and forward a copy herewith.

3. The returns from which Mr. Wilson gathered the material for his schedules were also transmitted to me, but I do not propose to enclose them in this despatch as all the information contained in them has been embodied by the Stipendiary Magistrate in his report.

4. You will observe that the scarcity of the humpback whale in the waters of the Dependency is still very noticeable, and is largely responsible for the decrease in the number of whales taken during the period covered by this report as compared with that of preceding seasons.

I have &c.,

W. L. ALLARDYCE,

Governor.

Enclosure in No. 9.

15

3. From seven companies engaged in the whale fishery of the Dependency there were employed in all 21 licensed steam whalers. Each boat had an average catch of 129 whales for the season. Taking the average catch per boat of each of the companies, the following is the result:

4.

Company,

South Georgia Co., Ltd. Tönsberg Whaling Co. Sandefjord Whaling Co. Cia, Argentina de Pesca

Bryde and Dahl

Ocean Whaling Co.

Number of Boats.

1911-12.

1912-13.

1913-14,

295.0 207-5 139-7 297.0

251.0 139.3

285-6 192.0 123-3

TILL

S. Whaling and Sealing Co

4

3

3

4

345.5

3

230-3

2

2

191.0

116-7 218-0 124-6

272.0 202.5 132.5

68.0

106-0 128.5

Oil.-The total average number of barrels of oil extracted from each whale,

as compared with the past two seasons, is as follows:--

1911 12. 30-3

1912-13, 38.2

1913-14. 46.6

This large increase in the production per whale is accounted for by the large species, more particularly the great number of blue whales, which have been cap- tured during the past season. The following shows the averages at the seven whaling stations as compared with the past two seasons:-

Station.

South Georgia Whaling Co., Ltd.

Fönsberg Whaling Co.

Sandefjord Whaling Co.

1911-12.

1912-13.

1913-14.

Barrels.

Barrels.

Barrels.

28.1

42:4

47-8

32.2

39.9

48.4

27.6

34.0

50.0

Cia. Argentina de Pesca

26:3

36.9

45,4

28.2

33.9

41.4

Ocean Whaling Co.

35.6

45.0

48-0

S. Whaling and Sealing Co.

39.1

39.0

40-8

Bryde and Dahl

5. Guano.-The total output of guano amounted to 60,085 bags (vide Schedule

B) or an increase over 1912-13 of 6,780 bags. The following shows the average number of bags of guano obtained from each whale at the five undermentioned stations, as compared with the past two seasons :—

1911-12. 1912-19.

Baga.

Bags, 11-81 24-3

1918-14.

Baga.

37.4

1991 360

43.3

14.70 14-1

17.5

SIR,

WHALING REPORT, SOUTH GEORGIA.

THE STIPENDIARY MAGISTRATE to THE COLONIAL SECRETARY. The Office of the Magistrate, King Edward Cove, South Georgia,

26th May, 1914.

I HAVE the honour to submit the following report, for the information of His Excellency the Governor, on the whaling operations at South Georgia during the half year dating from the 1st October, 1913, to the 31st March, 1914 commonly known as the whaling season. (Enclosed schedules A, B, and C.)

2. During the six months under review the total catch of whales-2,710— (vide Schedule A) yielded in all 126,457 barrels of oil, valued approximately at £320,602, or a total weight of 21,076 tons of oil at a given average value of over £15 per ton, counting each barrel to be equal to 172 kilos. If we include with the above the guano and whalebone, the total approximate catch realizes £350,630. (I have given the companies' valuations, but, considering the present good market for whale oil, I personally am inclined to think this is an underestimate of at least 20 per cent.) When compared with the same period 1912-13, this shows a decrease of 1,487 whales caught and 35,395 barrels of oil, or a total decrease in valuation of £103,200. For comparative purposes the results of the past four whaling seasons can be readily observed from the following:-

Season.

Whales.

Oil.

Barrels.

Value.

£

Whalebone.

Value.

Guano,

Value.

Tons.

£

1910-11

5,521

150,457

394,898

1911-12

5,681

172,318

1912-13

1913-14

161,852 4,197 2,710

407,403 426,628 320,602 126,457

891 81 176

12,042

Bags. 11,050

B

11,150 30,270

7,412 14,872

3,622

53,305

23,580

5,185 661

60,085

24,843

* 20742: not printed.

Station.

South Georgia Whaling Co.

Ocean Whaling Co.

S. Whaling Co.

Tönsberg Whaling Co.

Cia. Argentina de Pesca

3.92 16-4 38-0 Nil. 3.9 15-2

6. Whalebone.-Includes that taken from all the species captured. While the returns show only 661 tons, this is much under what is actually taken from the whale. At the time it is not usually weighed until ready for exportation, when the exact amount must be given.

Observations.

During the whaling season 1913-14 there has been a satisfactory increase in the utilization of the whale carcass. The Cia. Argentina de Pesca employed a guano floating factory for the utilization of their otherwise waste matter. The floating factory of Messrs. Bryde and Dahl and the shore factory of the Sandefjord Whaling Co. have so far no guano plant, but are otherwise able to utilize the carcass While the Southern as far as possible with large and powerful flesh boilers. Whaling and Sealing Co. show a fair utilization of the product of oil, there is The past still great room by this company for a greater production of guano. 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. For example, during the season 1911-12 there was a catch of 5,100 humpback whales, in 1912-13 2,251, and at the present time the returns only show 474, a decrease in two seasons of 4,726. It has, indeed, been fortunate that there continued to be numerous large blue and fin whales. It is worthy of note that during the season 1910-11 only 76 blue and 97 fin whales were captured out of a total catch of 5,521. At the present day the catch shows 651 blue and 1,417 fin, &c., and only 474 humpbacks as afore- said. The question has often been debated by the local whalemen as to the real Is it the continual cause of this continual scarcity of the humpback whale. killing that has thinned them down and frightened the remainder off? Or in the