The practice of whaling in South Africa gained momentum at the start of the 19th century and ended in 1975. By the mid-1960s,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
had depleted their population of
fin whale
The fin whale (''Balaenoptera physalus''), also known as finback whale or common rorqual and formerly known as herring whale or razorback whale, is a cetacean belonging to the parvorder of baleen whales. It is the second-longest species of ce ...
s, and subsequently those of
sperm and
sei whales, and had to resort to hunting the small and less-profitable
minke whale
The minke whale (), or lesser rorqual, is a species complex of baleen whale. The two species of minke whale are the common (or northern) minke whale and the Antarctic (or southern) minke whale. The minke whale was first described by the Danish na ...
.
Minke whales continued to be caught and brought to the
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
whaling station from 1968 until 1975.
South Africa comprehensively banned whaling in 1979.
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References
External links
Economic history of South Africa
Environment of South Africa
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