SOUTHERN WHALING CENTRES 



229 



The progress of modern whaling in the southern hemisphere is further described in 

 the fourth issue of the International Statistics (1933) and need not be reiterated here. 

 Some figures must be quoted, however, so that the type of catch which characterizes the 

 different centres may be compared. The positions or approximate spheres of operation 

 are shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and in Table 9 these centres are listed roughly in order of 



Statistics of catches from the east coast of Australia (35° S) and New Zealand (35-41° S) are not available 

 (see p. 231). 



latitude. Since the catching capacity (i.e. the number of factories and catchers, the 

 efficiency of the plant, etc.) is very different in the different centres and varies also from 

 year to year, the figures do not show much beyond the relative abundance of each species 

 in each locality. The principal points to be noted are the overwhelming importance of 

 South Georgia and the Antarctic as compared with other centres, and the fact that in the 

 tropical localities, between the equator and about 25 S, the catch is composed almost 

 entirely of Humpbacks, whereas in the colder regions there is more variety of species 

 with Blue and Fin whales generally dominant. Particulars of the catches year by year 

 are given in Table 10. 



I am indebted to Mr Harald Paulsen for much of the information in the following 

 notes. They apply to the period ending with the outbreak of war, for I have no 

 information on the activities of these centres in war time. 



Congo. Whaling began in 1912 at Cape Lopez, and was continued to 1914 by factory 

 ships. A land station and one or more factory ships worked from 1922 to 1926, and a land 

 station in 1930. A land station reopened in 1934 and factory ships worked from 1935 

 to 1937. The catches consist almost entirely of Humpbacks, a few Sei whales being taken 

 from time to time. (See International Whaling Statistics, no. II, p. 30, and no. xm, p. 8.) 



