JAPANESE WHALING IN THE BONIN ISLAND AREA 

 (A Preliminary Report) 



1/ 



A. Introduction 



1. The Bonin (Ogasawara) and Volcano (Kazan) Islands, 520 miles 

 southwest of Japan, have been a part of the Japanese whaling industry 

 for 23 years. Waters surrounding these islands (Figures 1 and 2) are 

 excellent winter whaling grounds, and Japan's exploitation of the area had 

 attained large proportions in the period before December 1941. 



B. Japanese Prewar Whaling Activities Around the Bonin Islands 



1. History and Development 



a. The Japanese whaling industry began many centuries age. 

 Whaling in the Bonin Islands area, however, is a relatively recent develop- 

 ment. In 1922 a Japanese whaling concern initiated experiments to determine 

 the potentiality of the Bonin waters as whaling grounds. Trials were pro- 

 ductive, and actual operations on a commercial scale began late in 1923. 



2. Whaling Season 



a. Although whaling is conducted throughout the year in 

 Japanese coastal waters, operations in the Bonin area (Figures 1 and 2) 

 are limited to the period from December until April or May. The peak is 



reached in March and 

 April; catches decline 

 1 'rapidly thereafter. Th* 



jt' J humpback, Bei, and sperm 



species of whale are 

 most commonly captured, 

 but finback and blue 

 whales are occasionally 

 caught. The most pro- 

 ductive area is directly 

 east of Hahajima. 



The mother ship, Transport #19 



1/ This report (No. 73) was prepared by Mr. Bell M. Shimada, Fisheries 

 Division, Natural Resources Section, General Headquarters, Supreme Com- 

 mander for the Allied Powers, Tokyo, April 1947. (Reproduced by per- 

 mission of the Civil Affairs Division, War Department). 



