Some analyses on the modern whaling catch history of the western North Pacific stock of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), with special reference to the Ulsan whaling ground

Abstract

This study analysed post-1900 published and unpublished records of gray whales in the western North Pacific. Modern whaling recorded a peak annual catch of 100-200 whales in the 1910s, followed by a rapid decline in the 1920s and 1930s and a continued low level (perhaps 10-20 whales/year) for over 40 years to the l960s. Catches made during the last phase could have been the major factor suppressing recovery until recently. There are reasons to believe that this gray whale stock breeds in Hainan waters.