The End of Whaling

Despite regulations imposed by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1946, whaling continued at unsustainable levels. By the 1960s, the consequences of overexploitation became evident, with many whale populations severely depleted. Some countries, like the United Kingdom and Norway, began to withdraw from the industry due to declining whale stocks and competition from alternative sources of fats and oils. Severe pressure had also built up on antarctic whale stocks. By the 1950s Blue whales were very rare, forcing catchers to sail ever further in search of Antarctic whales.

In 1964, Grytviken whaling station closed for good. The land-based whaling industry on South Georgia finally ended with the closure of the last working factory at Leith Station in 1965. A total of 175,250 whales were killed in the waters around South Georgia. In 1982, the International Whaling Commission voted to pass a moratorium on whaling. The IWC finally implemented a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986, marking a turning point in the history of whaling. In 1994, the Commission created the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, a 50 million square kilometre area surrounding Antarctica. Hopefully, these measures will see a return to pre-whaling numbers in South Georgia.

From the years 1904-1965 there were 175,250 whales caught and processed on South Georgia. This equates to around nine million barrels of whale oil.

With factory ships came a huge increase in the number of whales being caught. By 1930 there were 41 factory ships operating with 232 whaling catchers in the Southern Oceans. The number of whales being killed per year had gone from 14,000 to over 40,000. 

The first whales that were hunted to near extinction were the Southern right whales and Humpback whales. This was due to intensive whaling in the Southern regions before industrial whaling began.

Now in the twenty-first century, attitudes towards whaling have changed. We often reflect on the brutality of the industry, condemning those involved. Without considering the reasons that sent people there to do the job. It is important to reflect on this period with respect for those who travelled so far to find work. Without the income that was generated from the whaling industry, many communities around Scotland would not have survived.

The history of whaling in the Antarctic is a stark reminder of the consequences of overexploitation. Millions of whales were killed, pushing many species to the brink of extinction. While some populations, like humpback whales, are showing signs of recovery, others remain endangered or vulnerable.

A new whale memorial in South Georgia will commemorate the number of whales caught and processed on the island. This will be installed on the flensing plan in Grytviken, the central point for all the whale processing. The catch from Grytviken whaling station represents 29.45% of all the whales caught in the regions during the 60 years of whaling at South Georgia.