of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



lv 



marked decline since 1909, the period is too short to justify the 

 drawing of any conclusions from it. Moreover, whales have 

 practically a world-wide range, and it seems fairly clear that statistics 

 of the catch in a particular area are of little use for elucidating the 

 question of " over-fishing " unless considered in conjunction with those 

 of other areas. 



It is unquestionable, however, that in the case of a slow-growing 

 and slow-reproducing animal like the whale, although, owing to 

 its wide range, it will probably never be absolutely exterminated, 

 excessive hunting speedily results in a very marked depletion 

 of the stock. The practical extinction of the Basque and Greenland 

 whale-fisheries has abundantly proved this. It must be remembered, 

 too, that this result was brought about by means of the open boat 

 and hand-harpoon — methods which are now obsolete. The Greenland 

 whale was a comparatively sluggish and timid animal, whose capture 

 by the method referred to presented little difficulty, whereas the 

 rorquals and other species were not only too swift, but too dangerous, 

 to be attacked in the same manner as the " right " whale. With the 

 introduction, however, of the harpoon with explosive shell, discharged 

 from a cannon mounted in the bows of a steamer, the conditions were 

 entirely changed, and the species formerly immune from attack could 

 now be hunted with impunity. The result of this revolution in the 

 conditions under which the fishing could be prosecuted is seen in the 

 enormous dimensions which the industry has attained at the present 

 day. It is estimated that in 1911 between 19,000 and 20,000 whales 

 were captured in the Southern hemisphere alone (South Georgia, 

 South Shetland, South America, and Africa), to which has to be added 

 the catch in North America, Japan, Faroe, Iceland, Spitzbergen, and 

 Greenland, and these figures will probably be greatly exceeded in 

 1912, as numerous new companies have been formed to exploit 

 Alaskan, Australasian, and Sandwich Island waters. This wholesale 

 destruction must inevitably tell its tale within a few years, and, as a 

 matter of fact, in Newfoundland and Iceland fears are already 

 entertained that the fishing is on the decline. 



It would not, therefore, be a matter for surprise if, within a few 

 years, it may be found necessary to establish something in the nature 

 of international control, and the precedent of the Behring seal fishery 

 shows how vexed a question whaling may ultimately become. 



There was a further decline in the size of the whales captured, only 

 24 measuring 70 feet and upwards in length being taken, of which 

 none reached 80 feet. In 1910, 62 of those dimensions were taken, 

 and in 1909, 73, several of which were upwards of 80 feet in length. 

 The latter, however, were all blue whales, of which only 5 were 

 captured during the year under review. 



The quantity and value of the various products derived from these 

 cetaceans in 1911, together with the corresponding figures for 1910, 

 are shown in the following table :— 



[Table. 



