Whaling in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Whaling activity in 2 areas was investigated for 3 periods from the viewpoint of fishing technology. Whaling activity in Kataura, which is located southwest of the Satsuma peninsula, was investigated for 25 years from 1888 to 1914 using an ancient type of set net. Kunezu, which is located at southwest ofAmami Island, was investigated for 3 periods using modern whaling technology. Whaling in Kataura was conducted using ooshiki-ami, an ancient type of set net. The catch mainly consisted of blue fin tunas and yellowtails, and whales were only caught sometimes. During the course of a year up to 10 whales were caught. Many aspects of whaling technique were believed to be influenced by the traditional whaling method. Only the inhabitants of the neighboring village of Kataura cut the captured whales; they performed a unique ceremony before carving the whale. These activities were influenced by the whaling technology employed in Arikawa in Nagasaki Prefecture. Whaling in Kunezu, Amami Island, was initiated by a whaling company in 1911 and was continued till 1923. During this period, the number of cetaceans caught decreased each year. Of the 6 types of whales that were caught the number of Humpback whale (Megapetera novaeangliae) captured was the greatest among them. The capture location of the whale was very close to the coast except that of Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Small scale whaling was conducted again, and a small number of whale was sporadically caught in the following 5 years 1934, 1935, 1957, 1958 and 1961. The whaling station has been closed since 1962. Due to the whaling activities in both areas, a large number of cetaceans were caught during their seasonal migration; therefore they became extinct in a few number of years. This extinction is believed to be due to the modern whaling techniques that were developed during the years that resulted in the capture of many cetaceans in the northern sea