Traditional Humpback Whaling in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Kerwyn Morris

Chief Fisheries Officer Ministry of Agriculture
& Labour St. Vincent & the Grenadines

In St. Vincent and the Grenadines during the previous century, humpback whales were harvested by Yankee whalers but they were not the only cetaceans taken. The short-fin pilot whales and porpoises were also taken by local fishermen.

Bequia Island lies on the latitude 13⁰ north and the longitude 61⁰ 15' west. It has a total area of 18.1 square kilometers and a population of 4,874 (1991 census). The island was originally uninhabited. Caribs from St. Vincent visited it from time to time to gather wild fruits and vegetables and also used it as a camp-site for fishing activities.

It is now therefore over a century (1875) since whaling techniques were introduced to Bequia (See map) by the Americans, and whaling is now firmly entrenched as a cultural activity among the inhabitants of the island. Its economic decline began around 1910 when the industry employed as many as 100 men. From 1925 humpback whaling has been limited to Bequia Island only and the industry did contribute to the economy of the island.

The whaling season on this island extends from February when the whales travel southward to the breeding grounds in the waters between Bequia and Mustique and ends in May when they migrate northwards to colder waters. There is only a small window of about 4 months within which to harvest these animals.

There is no wage payment in the industry, but rather a "share system" is usually adopted. The whale when caught is processed at the landing station in Petit Nevis, and the meat is distributed among the boat (i.e. boat-owner), the six crew members and the lookout. In addition, everyone who assists in the processing at the landing station receives a barrel of whale meat as a reward.

The share of each person may be sold to resident of Bequia on the spot, excluding the portion reserved for their own consumption, and gifts to their relatives and friends. Leftover meat is dry salted and sent to extended relatives and friends.

In the past, whale oil was refined from the blubber and exported, but today no refining is done on a commercial basis. The blubber is distributed in the same way as whale meat.

The distribution of whale meat by this share system and its redistribution by gifts have enabled whale meat to go around throughout Bequia (and the neighboring Caribbean islands). This fact plays an important role in the maintenance and inheritance of the whaling culture in the island, and in cementing family bonds.

The boat-owner pays all expenses necessary for the maintenance and operation of the whaling business including the costs of the whaling boat, harpoons, hand-lances, ropes and sails. The only exception is the cost of cartridges for bomb-lances which is paid for by all the persons involved. However, in a year where there is no catch a large risk is imposed on the boat-owner who has to pay out of his pocket for all expenses.

At the 39th meeting of the International Whaling Commission in 1987, the whaling in Bequia was approved as an aboriginal whaling, and a quota of three humpback whales per year was set for St. Vincent and the Grenadines from the 1987/88 whaling season. From the 1993/94 whaling season, the quota was reduce to two whales. The number of whales caught in seven years between 1988 and 1994 was four (one in 1988, one in 1992 and two in 1993).

Biography

Dr. Kerwyn Morris is Chief Fisheries Officer for the Ministry of Agriculture and Labour, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He serves as his country's CITES authority and delegation leader to COP and is deputy Commissioner to the IWC. He holds a degree in Biology from Sir George Williams University, Montreal, Canada and studied Marine Resource Management at Dalhousie University. He was a member of the West Indies Science Curriculum Program and was head of the Biology Department of the only boys secondary school in his nation.