Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1938, Page 123

THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING SITUATION 115
ment was empowered to prohibit whaling in certain waters, to
limit the duration of the whaling period, to limit the production
of each expedition and to limit the catching-material.
The purpose of the Norwegian whaling legislation was to
direct the industry into sound lines of development. It had,
however, no very great catch-regulating significance, except as
regards the Norwegian companies. The Geneva Conference of
1931 aimed at international regulation, but the condition for the
realization of such regulation was that it obtained sufficiently
wide support. This was, however, not the case.
For the purpose of arriving at an arrangement which would
secure a reasonable protection of the source of raw material, a
voluntary regulation of whaling was agreed upon in the seasons
1932/33 to 1936/37.
For the seasons 1932/33 and 1933/34 a voluntary production
agreement was concluded, comprising all Norwegian and foreign
companies, with the exception of Unilever’s expeditions. In
1934/35, pursuant to the Norwegian Whaling Act the season was
limited to ist December—3ist March south of lat. 500 S.
In that year too a voluntary production agreement was con-
cluded and was joined by all foreign companies excepting
Unilever and Irvin & Johnsen. In the latter part of that season
a Japanese expedition took part for the first time in Antarctic
whaling (the “Tonan Maru”, formerly “Antarctic”, which had
previously belonged to a Norwegian company of the same name).
In the season 1935/36 after some difficulty a production
agreement was again brought about. Unilever’s, Irvin & John-
sen’s and Victoria Ltd.’s expeditions were not parties to the
agreement, but imposed on themselves certain less stringent restric-
tions. The Japanese expedition “Tonan Maru” took part in the
operations without subjecting themselves to any restriction.
After prolonged negotiations between England and Norway
the whaling season 1936/37 south of lat. 400 S. was limited to the
period Dec. 8th—March 7th (both days inclusive). The number
of catchers per expedition was limited to 5, 6 and 7 respectively,
all according to the size of the factory ship. Unilever’s and Chr.
Salvesen’s expeditions were given less stringent restrictions. For
the first time a German expedition, the “Jan Wellen”, took part
in Antarctic whaling, unfettered by catch restrictions.
By these restrictions the whale oil production in the Antarc-
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