Bequia whalerman harpoons male humpback

by Denika Compton

On Monday, April 18, the news which many residents of the Grenadine island of Bequia had been waiting to hear since the beginning of the year spread quickly.{{more}}

Whalerman Arnold Ollivierre of Paget Farm had caught the first, and what most likely will be the only whale for the whaling season, which runs from January 1 to April 30 each year.

Fisheries Officer Lezlian James told SEARCHLIGHT that around midday on Monday, a male humpback whale, measuring 35 feet in length with a circumference of 18 feet 6 inches, was harpooned about three miles south of mainland St. Vincent.

Although the whale was caught on Monday, sharing and selling of the whale did not commence until early Tuesday morning. Observers told Searchlight that by 10 a.m., the entire whale had been cut up and shared; such was the demand for the meat.

Earlier in the season, other whales were harpooned, but the whalermen failed to kill any in those attempts.

The whaling tradition is alive and well in Bequia. For decades it has been a significant part of the small island’s culture. Even though there are years in which not even a single whale is struck, islanders were heard saying that this Easter would not pass without one being caught.

The last recorded whale strike in Bequia was around this same time last year.

Under the regulations of the International Whaling Commission, St. Vincent and the Grenadines is allowed to catch up to four humpback whales each year for local consumption only.