The practice of whaling in South Africa gained momentum at the start of the 19th century, and ended with a whaling ban in 1979. In 1806, a whaling station opened at Beacon Island on the Cape of Good Hope. In 1908, land-based commercial whaling stations opened in South Africa, but by 1936, whaling facilities were reduced to a single land station.[where?]
By the 1960s, South Africa had depleted their populations of fin whales, and subsequently sperm and sei whales, and had to resort to hunting the small and less-profitable minke whale.[1] Minke whales continued to be caught and brought to the Durban whaling station from 1968 until 1975.[2]
Whaling in South Africa came to an end in 1979, when the nation comprehensively banned whaling.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ Tony Pinchuck, Barbara McCrea, Donald Reid. Rough guide to South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland. Rough Guides, 2002. ISBN 1-85828-853-3, ISBN 978-1-85828-853-6
- ^ Joseph Horwood. Biology and exploitation of the minke whale CRC Press, 1990. ISBN 0-8493-6069-2, ISBN 978-0-8493-6069-5
- ^ Tony Pinchuck, Barbara McCrea, Donald Reid. Rough guide to South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland. Rough Guides, 2002. ISBN 1-85828-853-3, ISBN 978-1-85828-853-6
.png){kind=small}
