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THE IMPORTANCE of WHALES and WHALING in BRAZIL (17TH - 18TH CENTURIES) CHAM - Centre for the Humanities NOVA FCSH, Lisbon, Portugal

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THE IMPORTANCE of WHALES and WHALING in BRAZIL (17TH - 18TH CENTURIES) CHAM - Centre for the Humanities NOVA FCSH, Lisbon, Portugal CASKS OF OIL BURDENS OF BALEEN [email protected] @PtNina Nina Vieira THE IMPORTANCE OF WHALES AND WHALING IN BRAZIL (17TH - 18TH CENTURIES) CHAM - Centre for the Humanities NOVA FCSH, Lisbon, Portugal Framew ork Whaling stations Whaling in Brazil was a During the almost two Crown Monopoly - first centuries of this operation, Iberian and since 1640 whaling stations ("armações") Portuguese - in effect from were developed sequentially, 1614 to 1801. from north to south (Fig. 2), Our goal was to characterize in Bahia (early 1600), Rio de the operation and to Janeiro (c. 1620), São Paulo (c. understand the importance 1730) and Santa Catarina (c. and value of whales and 1740), accompanying the whaling in the context of the appropriation of the shoreline Portuguese settlement in and the establishment of the first coastal villages. Whaling South America in the early stations were set in protected modern period. areas such as bays and Our study was founded by a sheltered waters between the deep bibliographic review, mainland and close islands, and the collection and critical strategically planed and analysis of written historical supported by the geographic sources, complemented by and natural features of the Figure 2:Whaling stations of Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Santa Catarina iconography elements (Fig. Figure 1: Fortress plant of Barra de Santos, São Paulo in inCartas Topograficas do region and sometimes also by (1614-1801). Maps design by Patrick Hayes, 2019. 1). Continente do Sul e parte Meridional da America Portugueza?, 1775.. military protection. Whale products from Rio to Lisbon Species and whaling styles The processing methods were the contracts established and Between 1765 and 1776 a total Within this whaling rudimentary, and some stations the main commercial products: of 57.500 barrels of whale oil operation, thousands of did not have size and capacity mostly whale oil and baleen was produced where the whales were hunted, most to process all the animals or and later also spermaceti. The shipment to Lisbon was on probably southern right each animal entirely and oil was mainly utilized in Brazil average 47,8% of the total whale (Eubalaena australis) - properly, despite the huge and so far the consumption and production (Fig. 3). The baleen represented in Fig. 1 - and effort in the hunting, navigation of the product in plates were stocked in burdens, humpback whale (Megaptera contributing to the discharge of and for Portugal has been each weighing 4 ?quintais? (a novaeangliae). These are a large number of whales. overlooked. Our analysis of former Portuguese measure) or migratory animals who Descriptions of the whaling contracts-related 235 kg. In those twelve years, travel annually between their stations environment also documentation and ship the production was of 26.824 feeding areas in circumpolar reinforce a heavy scenario of cargoes from Rio de Janeiro to ?quintais? that were shipped in cold waters and breeding unbearable temperatures, Lisbon between 1764 and 1785 its totality to the metropolis tropical areas, such as the animal entrails and forced may be revealing a different (Fig. 4), confirming the waters of Brazil, where they labour. The activity was pattern of usage and demand of European markets. mate and give birth. By the Figure 5: Location of sperm whale captures between February 5 to April 1, 1774, where economically relevant due to valorisation in Europe. late 18th century the first nine whales were caught, at an average depth of 5,100 meters. Nina VIEIRA, Patrick concerns about the hunting HAYES & Al MATTHEWS, ?Facing Changes, Changing Targets: Sperm Whale Hunting in Late Eighteenth-Century Brazil.?,Environment & Society Portal,Arcadia(Autumn 2019), of calves were discussed. no. 44. Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, available at emhttp:/ / www.environmentandsociety.org/ node/ 8798 At least for the period 1774-77, the operation was also targeting sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) , chased in the open sea (Fig. 5), which was entirely new for those whalers of the south who learned from a North American crew. The activity conducted in colonial Brazil seems to have been the only whaling operation of Iberian origin organized in the South Atlantic. According to the ?Taxonomy of Whaling? concept defined Figure 3: Whale oil produced in Brazil and by Randall R. Reeves and Tim D. Smith1, we characterized this operation as Basque-style in its shipped to Lisbon (1765-1776) entire extension and American-style Shore for a short period. Our new data about circulation and valuation of whale products point to new research questions that will allow to understand, in the future, the relation between centres of extraction, places of transformation and those of final consumption in a past commercial network supported by a marine living resource. Further studies are expected to understand this whaling operation in its cultural, commercial and environmental dimensions. 1 Randall R. REEVES & Tim D. SMITH, ?A taxonomy of world whaling: Operations and eras?, in James A. Estees, Douglas P. Demaster, Daniel F. Doak, Terrie M. Williams & Robert L. Brownell, Jr. (eds.)Whales, whaling, and ocean ecosystems. University of California Press, London, 2006. Figure 4 Baleen produced in Brazil and shipped to Lisbon (1765-1776).
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