POPULATION STUDIES ON THE MINKE WHALE 



i6i 



CHANGES IN THE CATCH PER UNIT OF EFFORT 



Fig. 2 shows the total numbers of minke whales taken in the years 1938-59, 

 subdivided to show the catches in Lofoten, Arctic and in all other areas. The 



^ 2000 



1500 



22 



20 



18 

 16 ^ 



12 (_ 

 10 CL 

 8 ^ 



Seasons 



Fig. 2. — Minke whaling. Pight-hand columns (solid black) — average catch per boat. Left-hand 

 columns — number of whales taken, subdivided into catches in Lofoten (diagonal shading), 

 Arctic (dots) and all other areas (white). 



average catch per boat is also shown. From the figure it appears that up to the 

 end of the last war most of the whales were taken in the Lofoten area; from 

 1938 to 1945, 55-6 per cent of all minke whales were caught there. During 

 the period from 1946 to 1959, however, the expanded activities in the Arctic 

 areas brought the relative importance of the Lofoten area down to about 

 29 per cent of the total, although the actual catch in Lofoten showed no 

 decline until recently. A rise in the catch per boat also took place, from about 

 five whales per boat during the first few seasons to about eighteen whales 

 per boat in recent years. 



Judging by the figure, the stock of minke whales seems to be in perfectly 

 sound condition. However, besides the expansion of the industry to new and 



