1.
GV. WHALING SHIPS TIED UP AT QUAYSIDE.


2.
LV. DITTO AND FACTORY SHIP.


3.
SV. TRACK INTO EMBLEM ON FACTORY SHIP.


4.
LV. SEAMEN UP GANGWAY ON SHIP.


5.
TV. SEAMEN ON TO DECK.


6.
SV. DITTO AND SIGNING ON.


7.
CU. SIGNING ON.


8.
LV. STORES ON DECK FOR VOYAGE.


9.
STV. WOOD ON DECK FOR VOYAGE.


10.
TV. PAN OIL BARROW ON DECK FOR VOYAGE.


11.
SV. XMAS TREES ONTO DECK.


12.
SCU. DITTO.


13.
LV. SMALLER WHALING SHIPS AT QUAYSIDE.


14.
SCU. HARPOON GUN BEING LOOKED OVER.


15.
SV. MAN AND WOMAN SAYING GOOD-BYE.


16.
SV. MAN KISSES WOMAN.


17.
SV. MAN HUGS BOY - BOY THEN POINTS.


18.
LV. SMALL WHALING SHIP LEAVING.


19.
SV. DITTO.


20.
SV. PEOPLE WAVING ON QUAY.


21.
LV. GETTING STEAM UP ON FACTORY SHIP.


22.
SV. MAN KISSES CHILD.


23.
SV. WOMAN WIPING EYES


24.
LV. PEOPLE WAVE AS FACTORY SHIP STARTS LEAVING.


25.
CU. WOMAN WIPING EYES.


26.
SCU. ANOTHER WIPES EYES AND WAVES.


27.
LV. FACTORY SHIP LEAVING.




Initials D.C/CW AHS/VCW



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Antarctica bound, a Norwegian whaling fleet - factory ship and the speedy whale catchers that bring in the goods - prepares to leave Sandefjord Harbour en route for the whale harvest in the frozen South.

The good-byes are a little sorrowful - the fleet will probably be away for about six months - but the money is good!
Badly hit during the last war, the Norwegian whaling industry is once again a thriving business. During the war the assets of the industry were reduced by 68 per cent - a greater reduction than that suffered by any other Norwegian industry. Casualties amounted to eight factory ships and 34 whale-catchers.

The vessels which survived the war had suffered so much wear and tear that a great many of them were no longer capable of competing on equal terms, or in a proper condition, to operate in the Antarctic.

Because of doubts about the value of remaining stocks, the future of the industry hung in the balance. But in view of the importance of whaling to Norway - not to mention its value as a foreign-currency earner - reconstruction plans went ahead.

The programme was completed in 1948, turning Norway into a major power in the whaling world with ten factory ships and 101 catchers.

Five of the "factories" were prewar Norwegian ships, one was a German ship from before the war which was handed over to Norway in 1946; four were new vessels.

The rest of the world's whaling vessels consisted of three English factory ships, one South African, one Russian (both formerly German) one Dutch and two Japanese.

Subsequently one Norwegian factory ceased to operate - it proved impossible to run it at a profit - the Japanese fleet has been increased to three and one Panamanian is now operating.

Between them, despite international whaling restrictions, the whalers of the world are this season expected to bring back two million barrels of whale oil