An item referred to the
Nihon Keizai dated 15 July 1963 reporting that the Japanese Fisheries Company bought the British whaling mother ship Southern Harvester (1) including the 5% catch quota or 500 whales for the 18th season. The Southern Harvester was property of the South Georgia company which was an affiliate of a British whaling company. Further was a contract signed for the use during one year of the whaling base on the British owned South Georgia Island located south of Argentine. The purchase was explained to be able operate the own fleet to a maximum, getting the raw materials for the canning of whale meat and production of meat as hams and sausages for the Japanese market and the long term development in profitable whaling. It was believed that the prices on the Japanese whale market and internation whale oil market would rise. The whale oil price already doubled compared with the 1962 price. The other two Japanese whaling companies were not pleased with this purchase regarded the reorganisation study for decreasing the Japanese whaling fleets. In 1961 tried the other two firms to buy the Southern Harvester and her sister ship without success, one of the two firms bought instead the Norwegian No. 3 Cosmos for 2.8 billion Yen/7.7 million US dollars. In stead the Southern Venturer (2) was indeed bought jointly by the 3 firms for 2.15 billion Yen. For the 18th season had Japan a catch quota of 4.200 whales which was an increase of 33.4% less compared with the 17th season. If there were 7 fleets fitted out remained a quota of 585.7 whales/fleet which was far beyond the usual quota of 800 whales. The Japanese Fisheries Company had now a total quota for the Tonan Maru (3) and No. 2 Tonan Maru of 1.171,4 whales to which the 500 whales of the Southern Harvester were to be added, resulting in an average quota for each of her fleets of 835.8 whales. The hope was that the surplus was divided over the fleets of the other companies similar to the surplus quota of the Cosmos 3.
Notes
1. The
Suisan Keizai Shimbun dated 24 July 1963 expected that she would be broken up. Official number 181179, United Kingdom-flagged. Gross tonnage 15.448 tons, 8.745 tons nett tonnage, deadweight 20.120 tons and as dimensions 556.0 (over all) x 74.5 (maximum) x 34.6¼ feet. Owner The South Georgia Co. Ltd., managed by Chr. Salvesen&Co., Leith, Scotland. Built by Furness Shipbuilding Company, Haverton Hill, England in October 1946.
2. June 1962 was her sister ship Southern Venturer of 20.330 gross tons bought by the three Japanese whaling firms together with another fishing company for 2.15 billion Yen/5.9 million US dollars including a catch quota of 600 whales. Gross tonnage 14.493 tons, net tonnage 7.06 tons, deadweight 20.30 tons and as dimensions 556.0 x 74.5 x 34.6¼ feet. Owned by Sevilla Whaling Co., Ltd and managed by Chr. Salvesen&Co., Leith, Scotland. Built by Furness Shipbuilding Company, Haverton Hill, England in October 1945.
The Southern Harvester was described as newer, larger and better equipped. In the last 3 years she catches respectively 659.5, 606 and 502 whales in the 15th, 16th and 17th seasons.
3. Laid down by Osaka Iron Works Ltd., Osaka, Japan on 22 May 1937, launched on 1 May 1938 and completed on 23 September 1938. Owned by Nippon Suisan K.K.. Ex Tonan Maru No. 3 renamed 1951. Gross tonnage 19.330 tons, net tonnage 13.272 ons, deadweight 22.921 tons. Requisitioned by the Japanese navy on 4 November 1941. Involved in invasion of Sarawak, British Borneo on 22 December 1941, heavily damaged after a torpedo attack by the Dutch submarine Hr.Ms. K XIV on 23 December 1941 off Kuching, converted into an auxiliary naval tanker in March 1942 and participated in voyages towards Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands), Palau, Truk (Carolines), Okinawa, Rabaul on New Britain [Papua New Guinea], Singapore, Hong Hong, Philippines, sunk on 15 February 1944 by American aircraft but in 1951 refloated and repaired.
