The Whale Fishery, 19th Century

Lithograph entitled: The whale fishery. The sperm whale in a flurry. Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales. Industrial whaling emerged with organised fleets in the 17th century; competitive national whaling industries in the 18th and 19th centuries; and the introduction of factory ships along with the concept of whale harvesting in the first half of the 20th century. As technology increased and demand for the resources remained, catches far exceeded the sustainable limit for whale stocks

Picture No

10803149

Media ID

47603386

Size

4302px x 2788px (2.8MB)

Credit

©Photo Researchers / Mary Evans Picture Library

Source

Photo Researchers