Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1938, Page 125

THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING SITUATION 117
rels, in January 126 barrels, in February 139 barrels and in March
150 barrels.
Any time-limitation which prevents too early operations will
thus signify a considerable economization of the stocks of whales.
Besides, there is the very important factor that the months of
October, November and December are purely Blue whale months.
The international whaling statistics show that the catch in these
months consists almost exclusively of Blue whales.
As will be shown in greater detail later, there are clear signs
of a marked decline in the Blue whale in the Antarctic now.
If the date for commencing the whaling season is put later,
this will act directly to the benefit of the Blue whale.
Another familiar biological principle which ought to be ap-
plied to whaling is protection of the game at the time of mating
and calving.
The large species of whales perform two regular seasonal
migrations. In spring and summer the food-migration passes from
warm waters in the Southern Hemisphere, from tropical and sub-
tropical tracts, towards the South. During the summer the whales
remain in the Antarctic, where they find enormous quantities
of food.
In autumn the migration then proceeds back to the warmer
seas. There, as a rule, mating takes place, and there the females
give birth to their young, which at birth are almost devoid of
blubber. There would possibly be a danger of the young ones
freezing to death if they were born in the cold antarctic waters.
During their sojourn in the tropical and subtropical regions, which
are poor in food, the animals become very lean. The oil output
of the Blue whale may fall to 15 or 16 barrels in the tropics.
As will be readily understood, it signifies both a rash exploi-
tation of the sources of raw-stuffs, and from the biological stand-
point shortsightedness, to carry on any considerable whaling
operations in the tropical and subtropical regions.
It is on this account that the Norwegian whaling regulations
have in recent years prohibited factory ships and catchers from
operating in two fields in the same season. They had to choose
between hunting in the Antarctic or in the tropical waters, and
as it is clear that under these circumstances all well-equipped
factory-ships will proceed to the Antarctic, the stocks of whales
along the coasts of East-Africa, Australia and South America
are thereby spared.