Translation 2783

•
242
.The killing of comMon blackfish (sec Appendix 12) is mainly
concentrated in the Paeroe Islands, where from 1,400 to 2,200 are
taken eVery year; in•Newfoundland in the middle 1950's from 2,00 0-
4,000 to 6,600-7800, or even 9,800, were taken annu ally. 2hey are
hunted on a small scale in the Lesser Antilles (Barbados, Santa Lucia,
Dominica, etc.), the take being up to 250 annually, with peaks in
June and September.
• • Among . tne largest specimens, a male 6.1 metres in length hau
a weight of 2.9 metric tons, but most animals 'ken are much smaller.
A single common blackfish yields up to 250 Le of blueber and
265-280 kg o2 meat. 2he internal organs (heart, lungs, liver) are . .
used for food; the meat is eaten fresh, salted, or dried.
No count of the. numbers of common blackfish has o,..en. made.
'Killer whale ('Orcinus ores.) ,
. The migrations of killer whales in the northern part of the
Atlantic are associated with the movements of Atlantic anu Scandinavian
herring shoals, which the animals pursue for long distances.
In the Hebrides region peaks of their arrival are . recorded from_
February to May and from july to!‘Jeptmber. They arrive off the '
coast of .,cotland also at two peak periods, in lity and in Augus -tand
September. Killer whales are seen off southwestern .Lorway moLtly
in l'ebruary, and in more northerly regions, where thç herring shoals
go, in May. At tne end of summer and the beginning of autmnn the .
killer whales appear again Off the northern coasts of Norway and
eastern Iceland. Their arrival in ;he Newfounuland• region is observed
from April onward, ana on th Labrador coast from July. They pass
r:ewfoundland in spring and summer, heading north; sometimes their
arrival follows that of rorquals. The movement in the opposite
direction is observed in autumn.
.The chief items in their diet are fishes, when tnese lorm
substantial concentrations, ana cephalopods. oometimeS killer males
attack various marine mamraals.
The males attain sexual matbrity when their booy length is
about 5.8 metres, and the females at 4.9 metres. It is believed that
gestation lasts for aeout a year;•parturition taLt.'s laabe mostly in
autumn. Ilew-born whales are ■s rarely PU much as 2.5)
metres in lonRth. after a year,. èturin wfnich tiate tney remain with .
thclv moolers, their length rhohes 5.5 moto.i.