Season

Less Whale Oil In 1953

A RECENT report from the Inter national Whaling Commission shows that although the maxi mum allowable catch of Antartic baleen (toothless) whales was set at 16,000 blue whale units, the com bined fleets of the world took only 14,855 units by closing date this year.

This represents about 325,000 tons of oil.

For the 1954 season, the Com mission has set a lower allowable maximum—ls,soo units —and has introduced some other regulations.

The season will open on January 2 and close April 7, unless the catch is achieved earlier, but hump back whales may be taken only on five specified days of the season— February 1-5.

These regulations do not apply to toothed whales, such as the sperm. The latter, hunted mainly for the non-edible oil contained in its head and used for industrial purposes, is usually taken earlier than January by some of the fleets en route to the Antarctic. This oil was last reported to be in poor demand.

With regard to the annual migra tion of whales from the Antarctic to the tropics, some recent interest ing aerial research in Australian waters showed that humpbacks start to head south again after calv

ing about August 24 and that their average migratory cruising speed is about 4.3 knots. They commence leaving Antarctic waters in April.

If Bishop Kempthorne, of Suva, journed to Aitutaki by TEAL air craft at the end of October on Church of England business.

fl Major-General Secombe, GOC Northern Command, paid a three weeks’ visit to Papua-New Guinea in October. His tour included Vanimo, the Australian Military outpost not far from the Dutch border in New Guinea. He travelled from Madang to Vanimo in the Army supply vessel Tarra.