Translation 2783

.... 257
and. `;hcir diseases have not been adequately investigated. Off. the
COc FJ't Of l c.l1fOrI11.?. tSll^ S1tC'l:Orial f1.Sh R^T'?7 I_ej- iç :.ttS_^.'_'2?.11 S has
b C:811
fCiu7,C:
on t;leir bodies,
Their baleen '?lates are infeSted by :éi.laen--
optera unisetus, and traces of attacks by la.m-:)rey.s have been found
on ti,eir â raCr?_OEx skin
At the beF^;inr_ini; of the 20th century the J apan.ese began to
egu i p their coastal stations tjith modern i^rhalir_b ships, which enabled
them to increase their kill of whales. Blue i-:hales were then found
almost all yeer round off the coasts of Korea and Japan. The most
intensive huntin^^ toolc place in winter from the coastal stations in
southern Japan between 31o P' and 34 0 N.
Whaling from the west coast of the North American continent
was carried on. from the beginning of the 20th century, but the kill
of blue whales was irregular. From 1911 to 1923 the seasonal kill
fluctuated f rom a few whales up to 112,
From 1952 on the k11a. Of YJllle whales by pelagic whaling ships
rose sharply: in 1954 it was 157, and in 1963 it was 4.04. During
the next two seasons it fell to 119 and 121 respectively.
During the period following World War II the kill of blue
170
whales in. all waters in the northern part of the pacific Ocean was
from 150 to 207 per season, and in 1963 it reached 443.
Data on the take are presented in Append.ix 7.
The chief product obtained from blue whales is oil. The
average yield from a sing-le animal is not more than 15 tons of oil.
A blue whale 23.7 metres in length weighed 82.5 tons.
In 1966 the hunting of these lr _ales was prohibited until 1975
inclusive. Their number was estimated to be 1,760 in 1971.
Fin Whalc (Ralc..eno;^tera ph.^^ salas j
The fin whales of the Asiatic herd spend the winter in the
south, from the coasts of South Korea and Japan to the island of
`.Ca.ii-ran.
They ai:e found th_oughout the year off the eastern coast
of japa.r_.
Their migrations to the north ïollot-r two routes ^see Appen--
di x 1 II) .
A P,'rouz) of fin whales (accordi ng to recent da'.a, segregated
into the 01=hots'1.-Ja-).--rlese he:ud; noves from the t•resteriz part of their
wintering range (t:ne soutnern parts of the Sea of Japan, the li;ast
China. Sea, and the Yellow 5ea; through tilL, bea of Ja,.an to their