The New Zealand Sealing Industry - Department of Conservation
The New Zealand Sealing Industry - Department of Conservation
The New Zealand Sealing Industry - Department of Conservation
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mainland most <strong>of</strong> these voyages were directed towards Fiordland and the<br />
Westland coast.<br />
Only three voyages were focussed solely on skins, another three on both skins<br />
and oil, while there were none that returned only seal oil. Instead skins and/or<br />
oil were brought in with various combinations <strong>of</strong> other cargoes including flax<br />
(11 voyages), whale bone (9), whale oil (7) and planks or spars (4). In part this<br />
signals an association <strong>of</strong> sealing with the newly formed shore whaling stations<br />
in southern <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong>, but more importantly it reflects the diminished<br />
availablity <strong>of</strong> seals. Voyages for which quantified data are available brought in an<br />
average <strong>of</strong> only 242 skins or 12 tons <strong>of</strong> oil at a rate <strong>of</strong> 629 skins or 9.9 tons <strong>of</strong> oil<br />
per year.<br />
4.7 SPORADIC LOCAL SEALING 1840–71<br />
Only eight voyages are recorded for the period between 1840 and 1871; four to<br />
Macquarie, three on the <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong> coast, and one to the Auckland Islands.<br />
However there are scattered references to sealing activity at this time which<br />
cannot be associated with specific voyages (e.g. Carrick 1903: 158–159;<br />
Brunner 1959: 280, 287–288; Bathgate 1969: 367; Richards n.d.) so it is clear<br />
that the present data under-represents the extent <strong>of</strong> sealing activity during this<br />
period. However it seems unlikely that it was either frequent or highly<br />
productive. <strong>The</strong> two voyages for which quantified data are available brought in<br />
14 tons <strong>of</strong> oil from Macquarie Island and 150 skins from <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong>.<br />
What is significant about this period is that virtually all <strong>of</strong> this sealing activity<br />
was being undertaken from <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong> ports. Prior to 1840, 96% <strong>of</strong> recorded<br />
departures and 92% <strong>of</strong> returns from the <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong> sealing region were from<br />
or to Australian ports (predominantly Sydney), with only one voyage<br />
commencing and finishing in <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong>—that <strong>of</strong> Harriet from Te Awaiti to<br />
north Westland and back in 1836. In contrast, only one <strong>of</strong> the eight voyages<br />
between 1840 and 1871 operated out <strong>of</strong> Sydney, while at least four began and/<br />
or finished in Riverton or Bluff. Furthermore nearly all <strong>of</strong> the indications <strong>of</strong><br />
other sealing activity listed above refer to the same ports.<br />
4.8 MACQUARIE REVIVAL 1872–94<br />
<strong>The</strong> revival <strong>of</strong> sealing in 1872 was focussed predominantly on the Macquarie<br />
oiling trade. Almost 80% <strong>of</strong> the voyages up to 1890 called at Macquarie, along<br />
with just five visits to the Auckland Islands, four to Campbell Island, two to the<br />
Snares and one to <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong>. In part this was due to the introduction <strong>of</strong><br />
legislation restricting the sealing season in <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong> territories (section<br />
3.2), but it also reflects the continued availability <strong>of</strong> elephant seals at Macquarie<br />
and the massive decline <strong>of</strong> fur seals elsewhere.<br />
More than two thirds <strong>of</strong> the voyages for which data is available brought in seal<br />
oil either as sole cargo, or in conjuction with bone (5 voyages), whale oil (2),<br />
skins (2), live penguins (1) and a sample <strong>of</strong> penguin oil (1). Where data is<br />
available average returns were about 15 tons per voyage and 19 tons per year. In<br />
17