Zoologist.
p. 11 · Read in the full issue
Whaling Industry.
Control Advocated by Zoologist.
THE possibility that the wholesale slaughter of whales, sea elephants, and seals in the Antarctic regions would ruin the industry, was empha sised by Mr. H. O. Fletcher, formerly zoologist of the British Australian, and New Zealand Antarctic Expedition, in a lecture at the Australian Museum, on July 7.
He said that unless steps were taken to check commercial exploitation, the numbers of whales and seals in the southern seas would be seriously de pleted.
The best method of control would be to appoint an inspector to each vessel operating in these waters, in order to see that the restrictions imposed by the various Governments controlling the area were observed.
Between 1910 and 1920, continued Mr.
Fletcher, 40,000 whales were killed in Antarctic seas. The value of the oil obtained from them was about £15,000,000. During the war the British Government had insisted that oil de rived in these regions should be sold on the British market, and had thus assured a supply of oils containing glycerine for use in the manufacture of explosives. About 50,000,000 gallons of oil was so marketed.