THE PASSING OF THE WHALE 



Thus, about fifteen years after the first modern 

 station was erected in Newfoundland shore whaling 

 practically ended, for today only six or eight facto- 

 ries are in operation and have a combined yearly catch 

 of about two hundred whales, instead of over one 

 thousand two hundred as in 1904. 



With Newfoundland's history in mind we may turn 

 to the American Pacific where, because of different 

 conditions, the story has been only partially dupli- 

 cated. From Mexico to Bering Sea there is an enor- 

 mous extent of coast line where the feeding grounds lie 

 close to shore and sustain a proportionally greater 

 number of whales than in the restricted area of New- 

 foundland and Labrador. Jlej^-as in every other 

 ocean, the result of persistent persecution will be in- 

 evitable, but under such conditions it will be longer 

 deferred. 



There is a slow but constant yearly decrease in the 

 number of whales taken along the Pacific Coast, and 

 yet if stations are not concentrated, undoubtedly the 

 industry will continue to be a profitable one for sev- 

 eral years to come. 



Near the islands of the sub-Antarctic, conditions are 

 more favorable for shore whaling than in any other 

 portion of the world. The waters of these seas are 

 especially productive of the shrimp (Euphausid) and 

 other plancton upon which most of the large Cetacea 

 feed, and thousands of fin whales are present where 

 there are dozens in other oceans. This great abun- 

 dance of marine life caused the development of the 



