THE STOCK OF WHALES 289 



equal, male Fin and Blue whales predominate slightly in the Antarctic catches, and male 

 Fin and female Blue at South Georgia and most of the winter whaling centres. Hump- 

 backs show a comparatively large excess of males at tropical stations, and of females in 

 the Antarctic. 



It is difficult to make any comparison between the numbers of pregnant, lactating and 

 resting whales in the Antarctic and warmer waters. The Discovery Committee's investi- 

 gations at Saldanha Bay and at Durban have shown that among the few adults examined 

 a high proportion had recently ovulated and might already have been impregnated. 

 There is no particular reason to suppose that the ratio of adult resting whales differs 

 much as between the winter and summer catches. It may be held though that, apart 

 from other things, rather more harm is inflicted on the stock by interference with the 

 whales in the active breeding season (i.e. in winter) than by catches in summer, although 

 the latter do of course include a proportion of pregnant whales. These remarks must be 

 taken to apply also to Humpbacks. This species, however, is in a different position. 

 Blue and Fin whales taken in coastal waters in winter consist mostly of small immature 

 whales, and the bulk of the stock of breeding adults is missed from the winter catches. 

 Of Humpbacks, however, the breeding adults become concentrated in tropical coastal 

 waters. The consequence is that although the ratio of immatures is not so high as in 

 Blue and Fin whales, the actual numbers of them are probably comparable (for when 

 both tropical and subtropical stations are active the total numbers of Humpbacks killed 

 greatly exceeds the total number of Blue and Fin whales), and, in addition, a large 

 number of breeding adults are killed. Thus in the tropical and subtropical catches taken 

 together, more damage is inflicted on the stock of Humpbacks than on that of Blue and 

 Fin whales. 



Table 30 may perhaps help us to judge the comparative effect on the stock of whaling 

 in tropical, subtropical and Antarctic waters. It lists those features which are relatively 

 advantageous or disadvantageous to the stock. The heading 'Favourable' is not of 

 course used in an absolute sense, for naturally it is not actually beneficial to the stock 

 that, for instance, large numbers of Fin whales are killed in the Antarctic. It would be 

 very difficult accurately to assess the relative importance of the various points enume- 

 rated here, but those which are obviously of greater weight than others are printed in 

 italics. For the rest it is intended rather as a list of some of the points which would need 

 consideration if any regulations were contemplated which would discriminate between 

 the different regions. It can at least be said, however, that apart from the actual numbers 

 of whales killed, the tropical and subtropical whaling is, on balance, far more damaging 

 to the stock than the Antarctic whaling. 



Whaling at the tropical stations is probably more harmful than at the subtropical 

 stations. Most of the whales caught at the latter are immature and in poor condition, 

 which signifies highly uneconomic whaling ; but since no particular species is caught in 

 very large numbers the absolute effect on the stock cannot be very great. At the tropical 

 centres, on the other hand, although a reasonable yield of oil per Blue-whale equivalent 

 is obtained, the whole industry is directed against the one species which most needs 



