Impacts on whales, sharks and fish - The Great Barrier Reef: An Environmental History - page 116

the animals, no reduction in the quota was made; another 600 animals were
captured during the season with, as Coulter reported, 'the 1955 catch even
showing some improvement'; in 1956, the fifth season of operation of the
fishery, 600 humpback whales were caught between June and August (Coulter,
1956, pp1017-18). In 1957, a further 600 animals were caught and processed,
between June and August, and Coulter (1957, p1014) stated that CSIRO
'determined that the catch composition of the eastern Australian coast has
improved in 1955 and 1956, probably as a result of more careful selection of
larger whales'; during that year, the legal regulation of the fishery was also
consolidated by means of The Fisheries Act of 1957 .
However, in 1957, as a result of the scientific monitoring of the harvest
undertaken by CSIRO, the lack of ecological sustainability that characterised
the fishery was acknowledged, and Coulter (1957, p1014) stated that 'the
combined catch of the east Australian humpbacks of the Australian coast
and of Antarctic waters will not withstand continuous fishing above the 1956
level'. Nevertheless, no reduction in the quota allocated to Whale Products
Pty Ltd was made and another 600 humpback whales were caught between
June and August of that year; subsequently, in 1959, CSIRO reported that 'the
population of humpback whales along the eastern Australian coast continues
to be in a fairly sound condition' and, for the years 1959-1961, the quota
was increased to 660 animals (Coulter, 1958, p1015; 1959, pp1096-7; 1960,
p1153; Peel, 1961, p750). However, by 1960, changes in the behaviour of the
humpback whales were apparent, as Coulter (1960, p1153) stated:
Recoveries from whale markings show that during the summer of 1958-
1959 the eastern population had spread further westwards in the Antarctic
than usual, and some mingled and remained with the western population.
The harvests for the years 1959 and 1960 were obtained successfully,
although with increasing difficulty, and by 1961 three whaling ships
worked to secure the catches. By the latter year, an aircraft was also used to
assist in locating the whales.
In 1961, the collapse of the east Australian humpback whale population was
acknowledged; A. J. Peel (1961, p750), the Director of the QDHM, reported
that only 591 whales of the permitted quota of 660 animals had been achieved
by Whale Products Pty Ltd by 30 October, when the season closed, and he
stated that the harvest had taken place at an average weekly catch rate of
28 animals, compared with 60 animals during the previous year. A report by
CSIRO (cited in Peel, 1961, p751) stated:
Catch composition studies show that the decline of the population of
humpback whales of the western coast continued unchecked during 1960,
and that of the eastern coast has begun to decline, although as yet this
stock is larger than the remnant of the western coast population.