493 



protect him." Their noble actions did not spare them. Instead, the 

 killing of these great animals is described as a ''jackpot climax.'* 



It is interesting to note that, although the film does not credit the 

 Panamanian Government or Aristotle Onassis, the name Olympic 

 Explorer can be plainly read on the side of one of the vessels. The 

 terrible history of the Olympic Whaling Co. is briefly smnmarized 

 pages 165-171 of "The Blue TVIiale"' by Professor George Small 

 (Colmnbia University Press, 1971) and I would submit copies of these 

 pages for use by the committee. They describe how the factory ship, 

 Olympic Challenger, hid behind an iceberg when discovered about to 

 retrieve the carcasses of humpback whales killed in violation of the 

 regulations of the International Wlialing Commission. 



The International Whaling Commission had no i)ower to enforce its regula- 

 tions : it could only formulate them and lament infractions. But national 

 governments can enforce laws, and one of them did so with a vengeance. On 

 November 15 and 16. 19.54. units of the Peruvian navy and air force bombed and 

 machine-gunned ships of the Olympic Challenger expedition for operating within 

 200 miles of the Peruvian coast. Five of the vessels were taken to port and 

 detained for weeks until a fine of $3 million was paid. The Peruvian action 

 only temporarily halted the oi)erations of the fleet. Shortly thereafter the Olympic 

 Challenger sailed for the antarctic. 



There, as reported by Professor Small : 



The entrails of baby whales were processed in cooker Xo. 8 on the Olympic 

 Challenger before being jettisoned. Unprocessed baby whale entrails would float 

 for some time and be evidence of ilh>gal whaling. 



The Federation of Norwegian 'Whaling Companies took court action 

 to seize oil and ships of the Olympic Whaling Co. According to 

 Small : 



The coriwrate legal battle that followed was conducted for the most part in 

 secret. Xo trials were held. Anders Jahre representing the Xorwegian companies 

 and Onassis representing the Olympic Whaling Comjjany reached a private 

 settlement. The Xorwegians paid .?1 million and the Olympic Whaling Company 

 paid $3 million to a special fund for the Xorwegian Whaling industry. This spe- 

 cial fund was used to construct a luxury hotel with office space for the Associa- 

 tion of Norwegian Whaling Companies in Sandefjord. Norway. 



Thus were the whalers settling their differences with the usual 

 secrecy while the public continued naively to suppose that the Inter- 

 national TMialing Commission was protecting the whales. 



The secrecy surroimding whaling suggests guilty consciences, and 

 the secrecy is intense. The whaling companies of Japan and Xorway 

 from whom Professor Small sought financial information were un- 

 willing to provide data. The Japanese described it as ''highly con- 

 fidential.'* Xo information at all is available from the U.S.S.R. on the 

 subject. The International Whaling Commission itself meets behind 

 closed doors whenever it is making decisions on how many whales to 

 kill, and shuns publicity, as well it may, for now that it is, at last, 

 receiving the attention of the press, the comments are unanimously 

 imfavorable. 



(The material submitted follows :) 



[From the National Whaling Policies] 



A second example of serious infractions of the regulations that may have 

 contributed significantly to the extermination of the blue whale concerns a 

 whaling fleet of Panamanian registry. The factory ship Olympic Challenger be- 

 gan Antarctic pelagic whaling in the 19.50-51 season. It was owned and operated 



