Whaling - HARBOUR GRACE
The 1st modern shore station whaling factory opened at Snook's Arm in 1898. With good catches and rich profits the local industry increased rapidly until in 1904 10 vessels operating from 14 stations caught 1,275 whales. Because potential investors hadn't realized at the time that this scale of exploitation had already seriously depleted stocks, 4 new factories opened the following year (with 14 catchers). Yet the total catch declined to less than 900, with the increased effort putting
additional pressure on the already weakened stocks. The Harbour Grace Whaling and Trading Co. Ltd. formed in 1904, but not operating until 1905, thus did not have a real chance of succeeding.
Although covered by insurence, the loss of its newly built catcher, Baccalieu, en route from Norway in 1904 with all hands caused a set-back. The Harbour Grace (also built in Norway began Whaling from Harbour Grace in 1905, capturing an unprofitable 20 Fins, 2 Humpbacks and 1 Sperm, and the following year the results were even poorer (17), reflecting the deteriorating state of the industry. The company thus didn't operate in 1907 and the Harbour Grace was sold to the newly expanding whaling industry in Japan. The company formed a partnership with the Hawke's Bay Whaling Co Ltd. and their vessel, Port Saunders, operated out of both ports in 1910 and 1911, and from Harbour Grace only in 1912 and 1913. Whaling then stopped and the catcher was involved in coastal trade before being sold to a new whaling company on the United States west coast. Local whaling ceased temporarily after the 1916 season. Harbour Grace was not directly involved in any of the subsequent revivals.
Altogether, the Hr Grace station functioned for 6 seasons between 1905 and 1913.