DOCSLIB.ORG

Whales of the World Nigel Bonner. Blandford Press, 1989, 192 Pp., HB

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Whales of the World Nigel Bonner. Blandford Press, 1989, 192 Pp., HB Book reviews Whales of the World stock after stock was systematically Polymita snails from Cuba or the Nigel Bonner reduced to commercial extinction, vast numbers of varied Philippine Blandford Press, 1989, 192 pp., HB first in the Arctic after Svend Foyn's snails. £14.95 invention of the explosive har- poon, and after 1925 in the Antarc- Tropical Landshells of the World is the first popular book on tropical This is an admirable summary of tic when another Scandinavian, Petter S0rlle, invented the slip-stem land snails since the 1940s and it the natural history of whales, dol- fills a gaping hole. Introductory phins and porpoises, by a zoologist factory ship. From start to finish the story of international whale con- overviews of each of the main tropi who is not only well qualified by his cal malacological regions are fol- long service in the Antarctic but servation has been 'too little, too late'. lowed by brief systematic accounts also unlike so many scientists, has a for each region and a useful biblio- most pleasing writing style. In only Richard Fitter, Vice-President, graphy of some 1000 references, 174 well illustrated pages he has FFPS also arranged regionally. The book managed to include much unusual does not profess to be a complete information as well as being right Tropical Landshells of the guide—with some 40,000 terrest- up to date on both the behavioural World rial mollusc species in the world, and physiological adaptations of Brian Parkinson, with Jens most of which are found in the whales to their aquatic environ- Hemmen and Klaus Groh tropics, this would be almost im- ment. Thus although even an ex- Verlag Christa Hemmen, Weisbaden, possible. About 30 families are perienced human pearl diver can- Western Germany, 1987, 279 pp., DM represented and the plates illus- not hold his breath for more than 198 trate about 1000 species and sub- 2i minutes, a bottlenose whale can Although more than 1000 mollusc species. The authors stress that the stay submerged for two hours, taxonomy adopted is a comprom- thanks to various complicated species now appear on regional, national and international lists of ise between current opinions— biochemical adaptations, such as molluscan taxonomy is still ex- storing oxygen in its muscles with threatened and extinct species, this group of animals is still almost bot- tremely fluid, and although the the help of a specialized protein, specialists may not agree with myoglobin. tom of the league in terms of con- servation priorities. Their lack of some of the names in this book, for In some ways whales have become popular appeal and the dearth of the general reader such problems the archetypal animals of the mod- specific information about which are outweighed by the value of ern world. The huge size of the molluscs are threatened largely having so much information in a baleen whales, their high intelli- accounts for this. However, at last single volume. gence, their harmlessness to man, we have a book that makes a start and the brutal way in which man at resolving both these problems. But perhaps of greatest interest to has preyed upon them and exter- the Oryx readership, is the atten- minated or almost exterminated The majority of threatened mol- tion that the authors draw to the many stocks: all these factors have luscs are terrestrial landsnails. To plight of so many species. As Brian influenced the increasing number people in temperate lands, a snail Parkinson points out in his fore- of people who are appalled at the is a small, dull, inconspicuous ani- word, landsnails are among the insensitive way in which mankind mal, best trampled underfoot be- animals most vulnerable to the dis- as a whole has treated and is still fore it lays waste to the lettuce appearance of the rain forests— treating the planet. 'Save the seedlings. Yet the great rain forests their powers of dispersal are ex- Whales' has become a classic of the world are home to thousands tremely limited, and their life his- slogan of the environmental of beautiful snails, the shells of tories are usually finely attuned to movement. which rival any marine mollusc in the particular microclimate within colour, pattern and sculpture. The their patch of forest. The regional Nigel Bonner most percipiently de- 77 plates in Brian Parkinson's overview sections make depres- scribes the rake's progress by book, most of them photographed sing reading '. Unfortunately, which the International Whaling by Chris Prior, provide a stunning many of these interesting snails Commission, set up to manage display of their variety and jewel- have now gone the way of the whale stocks in order to safeguard like brilliance. The famous Manus Dodo, as nearly all the ebony the whaling industry, was instead Island green snail is perhaps fami- forests that once covered the island used by the short-sighted whalers liar to some people, as a result, un- have been cleared to make way for to ensure the destruction of the fortunately, of its popularity in sugar cane.' This refers of course to stocks and the suicide of their own trade. Fewer people will be familiar Mauritius, and similar stories are industry. From the 1860s onwards with the small, colourfully striped told about the Philippines, Mada- Book reviews 229 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.202.226, on 26 Sep 2021 at 02:43:27, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605300023073.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Federal Register/Vol. 84, No. 78/Tuesday, April 23, 2019/Rules
    Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 78 / Tuesday, April 23, 2019 / Rules and Regulations 16791 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., nor does it require Agricultural commodities, Pesticides SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The any special considerations under and pests, Reporting and recordkeeping Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as Executive Order 12898, entitled requirements. amended (‘‘ACA’’) (16 U.S.C. 2401, et ‘‘Federal Actions to Address Dated: April 12, 2019. seq.) implements the Protocol on Environmental Justice in Minority Environmental Protection to the Richard P. Keigwin, Jr., Populations and Low-Income Antarctic Treaty (‘‘the Protocol’’). Populations’’ (59 FR 7629, February 16, Director, Office of Pesticide Programs. Annex V contains provisions for the 1994). Therefore, 40 CFR chapter I is protection of specially designated areas Since tolerances and exemptions that amended as follows: specially managed areas and historic are established on the basis of a petition sites and monuments. Section 2405 of under FFDCA section 408(d), such as PART 180—[AMENDED] title 16 of the ACA directs the Director the tolerance exemption in this action, of the National Science Foundation to ■ do not require the issuance of a 1. The authority citation for part 180 issue such regulations as are necessary proposed rule, the requirements of the continues to read as follows: and appropriate to implement Annex V Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 Authority: 21 U.S.C. 321(q), 346a and 371. to the Protocol. et seq.) do not apply. ■ 2. Add § 180.1365 to subpart D to read The Antarctic Treaty Parties, which This action directly regulates growers, as follows: includes the United States, periodically food processors, food handlers, and food adopt measures to establish, consolidate retailers, not States or tribes.
    [Show full text]
  • Modern Whaling
    TEACHER BACKGROUND Unit 6 - Days of Whaling December 15 - Days of Whaling: Modern Whaling Key Concepts 1. The whaling industry has played a significant role in domestic and international economics. 2. Technological advancement and human greed expressed in over harvesting have greatly affected whale populations. Background The story of human interaction with the whale has been, and continues to be, a tale of nearsighted self-interest. Historically, it is convenient to consider three major periods in whaling: native whaling, sailing whaling, and modern whaling. As a case study, whaling shows the complexity of ocean management problems. Biology, sociology, economics, and politics are all deeply involved in deciding the future of whale species. Materials For each student: • “December 15 - Modern Whaling” student activity pages For the classroom: • displays of pictures, books, periodicals, maps about the people and places that participated in the whaling industry • strip of computer paper or butcher paper for time line • large sheet of butcher paper for technology chart Teaching Hints “Modern Whaling” is the third lesson of the activity, “December 15 - Days of Whaling” and gives your students an historical overview of the issues surrounding whale hunting as they read and review whaling history, construct a time line, and chart technological developments. In toto, “December 15” is divided into three major sections: Indian Whaling, Sailing Whaling, and Modern Whaling. While the three sections present a unified whole, separate text and investigations are provided for each as the TEACHER BACKGROUND - December 15 - Days of Whaling: Modern Whaling 631 FOR SEA—Institute of Marine Science ©2001 J. A. Kolb TEACHER BACKGROUND Unit 6 - Days of Whaling entire “December 15” is long for a single assignment.
    [Show full text]
  • A NTARCTIC Southpole-Sium
    N ORWAY A N D THE A N TARCTIC SouthPole-sium v.3 Oslo, Norway • 12-14 May 2017 Compiled and produced by Robert B. Stephenson. E & TP-32 2 Norway and the Antarctic 3 This edition of 100 copies was issued by The Erebus & Terror Press, Jaffrey, New Hampshire, for those attending the SouthPole-sium v.3 Oslo, Norway 12-14 May 2017. Printed at Savron Graphics Jaffrey, New Hampshire May 2017 ❦ 4 Norway and the Antarctic A Timeline to 2006 • Late 18th Vessels from several nations explore around the unknown century continent in the south, and seal hunting began on the islands around the Antarctic. • 1820 Probably the first sighting of land in Antarctica. The British Williams exploration party led by Captain William Smith discovered the northwest coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. The Russian Vostok and Mirnyy expedition led by Thaddeus Thadevich Bellingshausen sighted parts of the continental coast (Dronning Maud Land) without recognizing what they had seen. They discovered Peter I Island in January of 1821. • 1841 James Clark Ross sailed with the Erebus and the Terror through the ice in the Ross Sea, and mapped 900 kilometres of the coast. He discovered Ross Island and Mount Erebus. • 1892-93 Financed by Chr. Christensen from Sandefjord, C. A. Larsen sailed the Jason in search of new whaling grounds. The first fossils in Antarctica were discovered on Seymour Island, and the eastern part of the Antarctic Peninsula was explored to 68° 10’ S. Large stocks of whale were reported in the Antarctic and near South Georgia, and this discovery paved the way for the large-scale whaling industry and activity in the south.
    [Show full text]
  • Modern Whaling
    This PDF is a selection from an out-of-print volume from the National Bureau of Economic Research Volume Title: In Pursuit of Leviathan: Technology, Institutions, Productivity, and Profits in American Whaling, 1816-1906 Volume Author/Editor: Lance E. Davis, Robert E. Gallman, and Karin Gleiter Volume Publisher: University of Chicago Press Volume ISBN: 0-226-13789-9 Volume URL: http://www.nber.org/books/davi97-1 Publication Date: January 1997 Chapter Title: Modern Whaling Chapter Author: Lance E. Davis, Robert E. Gallman, Karin Gleiter Chapter URL: http://www.nber.org/chapters/c8288 Chapter pages in book: (p. 498 - 512) 13 Modern Whaling The last three decades of the nineteenth century were a period of decline for American whaling.' The market for oil was weak because of the advance of petroleum production, and only the demand for bone kept right whalers and bowhead whalers afloat. It was against this background that the Norwegian whaling industry emerged and grew to formidable size. Oddly enough, the Norwegians were not after bone-the whales they hunted, although baleens, yielded bone of very poor quality. They were after oil, and oil of an inferior sort. How was it that the Norwegians could prosper, selling inferior oil in a declining market? The answer is that their costs were exceedingly low. The whales they hunted existed in profusion along the northern (Finnmark) coast of Norway and could be caught with a relatively modest commitment of man and vessel time. The area from which the hunters came was poor. Labor was cheap; it also happened to be experienced in maritime pursuits, particularly in the sealing industry and in hunting small whales-the bottlenose whale and the white whale (narwhal).
    [Show full text]
  • Sharing the Catches of Whales in the Southern Hemisphere
    SHARING THE CATCHES OF WHALES IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE S.J. Holt 4 Upper House Farm,Crickhowell, NP8 1BZ, Wales (UK) <[email protected]> 1. INTRODUCTION What historians have labelled modern whaling is largely a twentieth century enterprise. Its defining feature is the cannon-fired harpoon with an explosive head, launched from a motorised catcher boat.1 This system was first devised about 1865 by Svend Foyn, the son of a ship-owner from Tønsberg, in Vestfold, southeast Norway. Foyn believed that “God had let the whale inhabit the waters for the benefit and blessing of mankind, and consequently I considered it my vocation to promote these fisheries”. He has been described as “...a man with great singularity of vision, since virtually everything he did ...was dedicated to the profitable killing of whales”. Foyn’s system allowed for the first time the systematic hunting and killing of the largest and fastest swimming species of whales, the rorquals, a sub-class of whalebone whales (Mysticetes spp.). The basic technology was supplemented by significant developments in cabling, winches and related hardware and in processing. Powered vessels could not only tow the dead rorquals back to land bases quickly and thus in good condition for processing, but could provide ample compressed air to keep them afloat. Modern whaling could not, however, have become a major industry world-wide, without other technological developments. Other kinds of whales had already been killed in enormous numbers, primarily for their oil, for over a century.2 In 1905 it was discovered that oil from baleen whales could be hydrogenated and the resulting product could be used in the manufacture of soap and food products.
    [Show full text]
  • 03 Rocha.Indd
    Emptying the Oceans: A Summary of Industrial Whaling Catches in the 20th Century ROBERT C. ROCHA, Jr., PHILLIP J. CLAPHAM, and YULIA V. IVASHCHENKO “Some of the larger factory vessels with their capacity of over 2,500 barrels of oil per day capture more in two days than the original fl oating factories of 1904 were able to carry away with them in an entire season. One modern factory ship can take more whales in one season than the entire American whaling fl eet of 1846 which number over 700 vessels.” Lt (j.g.) Quentin R. Walsh, U.S.C.G., 1938 Introduction ern whaling—at least in the Northern 8 whales per year during the 20-year Hemisphere—was well under way. operation of this factory (Lillie, 1915; In the 1860’s, the Norwegian whaler Sixteen shore whaling stations had Allison, 2012). and sealer Svend Føyn introduced the been established in Norway by 1883 The fi rst shore factory in the steam-powered whale catcher and the (Risting, 1922; Dickinson and Sanger, Southern Ocean was established in exploding harpoon gun to the whal- 2005), and others were in operation in Grytviken (Cauldron Bay) on South ing industry (Tønnessen and John- Newfoundland, Greenland, Russia, and Georgia Island by the Norwegian sen, 1982). In the 1870’s, he improved Japan. In 1903, another Norwegian, Carl Anton Larsen, from the Compa- upon shore-based factory processing Christen Christensen, introduced the ñía Argentina de Pesca, in late 1904 to a level that came to be considered fi rst factory ship, the wooden steam- (Tønnessen and Johnsen, 1982).
    [Show full text]
  • Melville's Mockery of Foreign Whalers
    www.ssoar.info Melville's mockery of foreign whalers De Jong, Cornelis Veröffentlichungsversion / Published Version Zeitschriftenartikel / journal article Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: De Jong, C. (1986). Melville's mockery of foreign whalers. Deutsches Schiffahrtsarchiv, 9, 217-226. https://nbn- resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-56113-3 Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Dieser Text wird unter einer Deposit-Lizenz (Keine This document is made available under Deposit Licence (No Weiterverbreitung - keine Bearbeitung) zur Verfügung gestellt. Redistribution - no modifications). We grant a non-exclusive, non- Gewährt wird ein nicht exklusives, nicht übertragbares, transferable, individual and limited right to using this document. persönliches und beschränktes Recht auf Nutzung dieses This document is solely intended for your personal, non- Dokuments. Dieses Dokument ist ausschließlich für commercial use. All of the copies of this documents must retain den persönlichen, nicht-kommerziellen Gebrauch bestimmt. all copyright information and other information regarding legal Auf sämtlichen Kopien dieses Dokuments müssen alle protection. You are not allowed to alter this document in any Urheberrechtshinweise und sonstigen Hinweise auf gesetzlichen way, to copy it for public or commercial purposes, to exhibit the Schutz beibehalten werden. Sie dürfen dieses Dokument document in public, to perform, distribute or otherwise use the nicht in irgendeiner Weise abändern, noch dürfen Sie document in public. dieses Dokument für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke By using this particular document, you accept the above-stated vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, aufführen, vertreiben oder conditions of use. anderweitig nutzen. Mit der Verwendung dieses Dokuments erkennen Sie die Nutzungsbedingungen an. MELVILLE'S MOCKERY OF FOREIGN WHALERS BY CORNELIS DE ]ONG Herman Melville used many books on whales and whaling in writing >>Moby Dick«: some com mentators maintain that he pillaged them, but he honestly mentions most of them.
    [Show full text]
  • Svend Foyn. Meaning Potentials of Monument and Space
    meaning potentials of monument and space Svend Foyn. Meaning potentialS oF MonuMent and Space by eva Maagerø and aslaug veum This article explores the dialectical relationship between monuments and space, the meaning potential of a monument and how the monument interacts with and is af- fected by its surroundings. Research on monuments emphasises that public monu- ments contribute to individual as well as collective and social memory and identity. The current article presents a social semiotic analysis in which the meaning-making signs of the statue is taken as the starting point, and the cultural as well as the historical context are integrated in the analysis. one specific monument located in the city of tønsberg in Southern norway has been analyzed. The statue represents Svend Foyn (1809 – 1894), a man who is regarded as a pioneer of whaling and whale processing. The analysis is based on a social semiotic framework, inspired by Michael Halliday's work, combined with Michael o'toole's three-level rank sys- tem for the analysis of sculpture. our analysis also discusses briefly the context of the Foyn monument, and raises questions concerning the limits of a monument's spatial and temporal context. 1. Introduction Statues and public monuments function as important centres of meaning construction in villages, towns and cities. traditionally, statues portray actions or memorable persons and are regarded as important aspects of social memory. especially since the 19th century, public statues have contributed to the creation of different kinds of collective meaning: local as well as national, political as well as cultural (Barthes 1997; Johnson, 1995, 2002; Kruk, 2008).
    [Show full text]
  • Whaling Timeline C
    Defending the Whales Whaling Timeline c. 1000 C.E. Basques begin hunting right whales in Bay of Biscay region, the first true commercial whaling operation. Over the ensuing centuries, they expand slowly northward and westward, arriving off Labrador around 1540. 1611 England’s Muscovy Company sends two whaling ships to the newly-discovered Arctic island of Spitsbergen to hunt bowhead whales. By 1613, the waters around Spitsbergen are choked with whaling ships. By the late seventeenth century, Dutch whalers alone send roughly 250 vessels and 18,000 men to the Arctic in search of bowheads. 1675 Yoriharu Wada begins organizing whaling crews in Taiji, Japan. 1712 Beginning of American commercial whaling, operating out of Nantucket in search of sperm whales. 1842 British explorer James Clark Ross, sailing off the Antarctic Peninsula, observes “a very great number of the largest-sized black whales,” prompting interest in the prospects for an Antarctic whaling industry. 1863 Norwegian whaling pioneer Svend Foyn launches the Spes et Fides, the first truly steam-powered whaling ship. 1868 Foyn perfects the harpoon cannon. 1874 German whaling ship, the Grönland, heads south in search of the whales spied by Ross. It becomes the first steam ship to cross the Antarctic Circle, but fails to catch any whales. 1904 Norwegian Carl Anton Larsen establishes the first Antarctic whaling operation, at Grytviken on South Georgia. In its first twelve months, the company shoots 184 whales. Within ten years, South Georgia whalers kill 1,738 blue whales, 4,776 fin whales, and 21,894 humpback whales. 1909 First British Antarctic whaling station established on West Falkland Island.
    [Show full text]
  • DP19-05-Bbtrends in Whaling History Research NHH WP
    1 In the Wake of Tønnessen and Johnsen: Trends in Whaling History Research after 1970 Bjørn L. Basberg Economic History Section / Department of Economics The Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration N-5045 Bergen 20. September 2005 Discussion Paper 19/05 Abstract In 1970 the fourth and final volume of Arne Odd Johnsen and Joh. N. Tønnessens’s Den moderne hvalfangsts historie was published. The work represented a milestone in the writing about the development of the 20th century whaling industry. This paper reviews the literature that has been published in Norway and internationally on the history of modern whaling after Johnsen and Tønnessen, and analyses the focus, trends and direction in the research and writing on whaling history in the period. 2 In the Wake of Tønnessen and Johnsen: Trends in Whaling History Research after 1970 Introduction1 In 1970 the fourth and final volume of Arne Odd Johnsen and Joh. N. Tønnessen’s Den moderne hvalfangsts historie was published. Books on the history of modern whaling had been published before, both in Norway and elsewhere, but this was beyond doubt the most comprehensive effort so far. The books were written from a scholarly perspective and represented a great leap forward in the “academization” of historical writing on this industry. The volumes also covered in detail an impressive amount of topics. As we wrote in the introduction to Whaling & History (Basberg, Ringstad and Wexelsen (eds.) 1993), the younger historians in the field - after discovering an interesting piece of archival material or coming up with a fascinating question - often discovered that Johnsen and Tønnessen had already found it, and given the answers.
    [Show full text]
  • Whaling and Whale Management in the Southern Ocean, and German Participation and Interests Therein Kock, Karl-Hermann
    www.ssoar.info Whaling and whale management in the Southern Ocean, and German participation and interests therein Kock, Karl-Hermann Veröffentlichungsversion / Published Version Zeitschriftenartikel / journal article Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Kock, K.-H. (2010). Whaling and whale management in the Southern Ocean, and German participation and interests therein. Deutsches Schiffahrtsarchiv, 33, 251-276. https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-65973-0 Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Dieser Text wird unter einer Deposit-Lizenz (Keine This document is made available under Deposit Licence (No Weiterverbreitung - keine Bearbeitung) zur Verfügung gestellt. Redistribution - no modifications). We grant a non-exclusive, non- Gewährt wird ein nicht exklusives, nicht übertragbares, transferable, individual and limited right to using this document. persönliches und beschränktes Recht auf Nutzung dieses This document is solely intended for your personal, non- Dokuments. Dieses Dokument ist ausschließlich für commercial use. All of the copies of this documents must retain den persönlichen, nicht-kommerziellen Gebrauch bestimmt. all copyright information and other information regarding legal Auf sämtlichen Kopien dieses Dokuments müssen alle protection. You are not allowed to alter this document in any Urheberrechtshinweise und sonstigen Hinweise auf gesetzlichen way, to copy it for public or commercial purposes, to exhibit the Schutz beibehalten werden. Sie dürfen dieses Dokument document in public, to perform, distribute or otherwise use the nicht in irgendeiner Weise abändern, noch dürfen Sie document in public. dieses Dokument für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke By using this particular document, you accept the above-stated vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, aufführen, vertreiben oder conditions of use. anderweitig nutzen. Mit der Verwendung dieses Dokuments erkennen Sie die Nutzungsbedingungen an.
    [Show full text]
  • A Crisis That Never Came. the Decline of the European Antarctic Whaling Industry in the 1950S and -60S
    INSTITUTT FOR SAMFUNNSØKONOMI DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS SAM 9 2011 ISSN: 0804-6824 MAY 2011 Discussion paper A Crisis that Never Came. The Decline of the European Antarctic Whaling Industry in the 1950s and -60s BY BJØRN L. BASBERG This series consists of papers with limited circulation, intended to stimulate discussion. Bjørn L. Basberg Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) N- 5045 Bergen [email protected] A Crisis that Never Came. The Decline of the European Antarctic Whaling Industry in the 1950s and -60s Abstract The paper analyses the decline and final close down of the European Antarctic whaling industry in the 1950s and -60s. This industry had been led by British and Norwegian companies, which were now challenged by Japan and Soviet Union that completely took over Antarctic whaling for the next decades. The decline most severely affected Norway where the whaling industry was relatively more important than in any other country. The decline was also disproportionally felt in Norway because he country provided crew and equipment to many foreign whaling companies. The paper will therefore have a special focus on the Norwegian industry and how the challenges were faced there. The analysis reveals that the decline did not develop into a crisis for the companies involved or in the wider economy. One main explanation was that business cycles in shipping and in the general economy were very favourable during the years when the whaling industry was wound up. May 2011 2 Introduction1 By the late 1950s it was obvious that the whaling era of Western European nations in the Antarctic was about to come to an end.
    [Show full text]