For The 1956-57 Season
p. 101 · Read in the full issue
Whalers Head South
ANEW crop of “mystery vessel” sightings in the Western Pacific may be anticipated as Japanese whaling expeditions move south in preparation for the Antarctic season which opens on January 2.
The first of five Japanese whaling fleets, which will comprise in all about 100 vessels, sailed on Oc tober 29. As is usual, it will prob ably engage in sperm whaling in the tropics prior to the baleen whal ing which comes under different regulations as to season and allow able catch.
?J st a P ane se fleet consists oi the 16,811 gross ton factory ship Nisshin Maru, a freezer vessel for the transport of whale-meat back to Japan, and eight chaser vessels This fleet is owned by the Taiyo Fisheries Co., which has operated tuna fishing fleets in the South Pacific in recent years.
Also included in the Japanese whaling operations this year will be the former Aristotle Onassis-owned
OlyTnpic Challenger and chasers
which caused an international in cident in Peruvian waters in No vember, 1954. A Japanese company recently purchased the fleet and has renamed the vessels with the usual “maru” suffix.