Tasmanian government interested in establishing a sea elephant oil industry according to the Tasmanian newspaper The Mercury dated Wednesday 7 April 1948.

An item reported that the Tasmanian governement asked the Commonwealth Government for information how to establish a sea elephant oil industry. The oil was about 125 pound sterlington and suitable for the manafacture of paint and seemed to have a high vitamine value. The Federal government announced officially to be interested. Premier Gosgrove stated a day earlier to participate in such project and wanted to prevent an slaughter. Macquarie Island where a large number of sea elephants lived, was a Tasmanian dependency.