Misplaced Pages

#851148

118-454: Bequia has a history of whaling which was introduced by the Yankee whalers in the 19th century . Its people are allowed to catch only up to four humpback whales per year using traditional hunting methods . The limit is rarely met, with no catch some years. Bequia is a small island, measuring 7 square miles (18 km) with a population of approximately 5,300. The native population are primarily

236-501: A drogue (a semi-floating object) such as a wooden drum or an inflated sealskin tied to an arrow or a harpoon. Once the missile had been shot into a whale's body, the buoyancy and drag from the drogue would eventually cause the whale to tire, allowing it to be approached and killed. Cultures that practiced whaling with drogues included the Ainu , Inuit , Native Americans , and the Basque people of

354-524: A London interloper, which were either ordered away or forced to pay a fine of some sort. The United Provinces , France, and Spain all protested against this treatment, but James I held fast to his claim of sovereignty over Spitsbergen. The following three and a half decades witnessed numerous clashes between the various nations (as well as infighting among the English), often merely posturing, but sometimes resulting in bloodshed. This jealousy stemmed as much from

472-593: A captive of the Nuu-chah-nulth people from 1802 to 1805, makes clear the importance of whale meat and oil to their diet. Whaling was integral to the cultures and economies of other indigenous people as well, notably the Makah and Klallam . For other groups, especially the Haida , whales appear prominently as totems. Hunting of cetaceans continues by Alaska Natives (mainly beluga and narwhal , plus subsistence hunting of

590-661: A combined eleven or twelve whalers to the Spitsbergen fishery, but most were driven off by the Dutch and English. Two more ships were sent by a merchant in San Sebastián in 1615, but both were driven away by the Dutch. Conflict over the Spitsbergen whaling grounds between the English, French, Dutch and Danish continued until 1638. Whale fishing in Iceland and Spitsbergen continued at least into

708-479: A limited number, in particular on the west coast of the island. Early in 1614, the Dutch formed the Noordsche Compagnie (Northern Company), a cartel composed of several independent chambers (each representing a particular port). The company sent fourteen ships supported by three or four men-of-war this year, while the English sent a fleet of thirteen ships and pinnaces. Equally matched, they agreed to split

826-544: A mixture of people of African , Scottish and Kalinago descent. A substantial number of white Barbadians also settled the Mount Pleasant area of Bequia in the 1860s. Many of their descendants still inhabit the area. Other highly populated areas include the island capital, Port Elizabeth , which hosts the ferry terminal and Paget Farm, which hosts the airport. There are also villages at Lower Bay, La Pompe, Hamilton and Belmont. Other prominent areas of Bequia include Spring,

944-499: A mobile network, and internet access. The old telex system still operates. Bequia has its own heavy-duty, long-range shortwave radio antenna. Many inhabitants use the marine VHF radio system on channel 68 for local communication. Considering the size of the island, Bequia has a large publications industry. Various publishers, editors, and writers work on the island, as do painters and graphic designers. Notes Bibliography History of whaling This article discusses

1062-557: A new wave of immigration occurred, with shiploads of Indian labourers arrived. In 1902, the La Soufrière volcano erupted again, killing 1,500–2,000 people; much farmland was damaged, and the economy deteriorated. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines passed through various stages of colonial status under the British. A representative assembly was authorised in 1776, Crown Colony government

1180-524: A poor voyage." In 1617 a ship from Vlissingen whaling in Horn Sound had its cargo seized by the English vice-admiral. Angry, the following season the Dutch sent nearly two dozen ships to Spitsbergen. Five of the fleet attacked two English ships, killing three men in the process, and also burned down the English station in Horn Sound. Negotiations between the two nations followed in 1619, with James I, while still claiming sovereignty, would not enforce it for

1298-412: A programme instituted by Great Britain to give land to indigent settlers, James Hamilton, father of Alexander Hamilton , moved from St. Croix to Bequia in 1774 where he remained until 1790. The land granted to Hamilton lies along the shore of Southeast Bay. Despite his son's frequent gifts of money and entreaties to immigrate or at least visit him, neither visited the other. Some historians believe that

SECTION 10

#1732869112852

1416-584: A pyrotechnist, and a former Confederate soldier, Robert L. Suits, modified Roys's rocket, marketing it as the "California Whaling Rocket". The rocket was highly effective in killing whales. Danish naval officer Captain Otto C. Hammer and the Dutchman Captain C. J. Bottemanne also imitated Roys' rocket harpoon. Hammer formed the Danish Fishing Company, which operated from 1865 to 1871. Botteman formed

1534-533: A representative of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, then (James Mitchell, who was subsequently knighted) signed the Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaties. There were seven other signatories to the agreement on that day. The countries which were represented were Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. An eighth country signed

1652-504: A ship from Hull . The following year two more ships were sent. Other countries followed suit, with Amsterdam and San Sebastian each sending a ship north. The latter ship returned to Spain with a full cargo of oil. Such a fabulous return resulted in a fleet of whaleships being sent to Spitsbergen in 1613. The Muscovy Company sent seven, backed by a monopoly charter granted by King James I . They met with twenty other whaleships (eleven or twelve Basque, five French, and three Dutch), as well as

1770-589: A significant re-alignment in the map of the Caribbean; St. Vincent and the Grenadine islands, including Grenada, were given to the British in exchange for Guadeloupe , Martinique and St. Lucia . The name Petit Martinique comes from this era, as does Petit Saint Vincent . In 1779, the French seized the island, despite the treaty, but were forced to relinquish control to Britain again soon after. The early 18th century saw

1888-662: A similar claim, stating that the French Basques, in pursuing whales across the North Atlantic, discovered North America a century before Columbus . The Belgian cetologist Pierre-Joseph van Beneden (1878, 1892) repeated such assertions by saying that the Basques, in the year 1372, found the number of whales to increase on approach of the Newfoundland Banks . The first undisputed presence of Basque whaling expeditions in

2006-589: A variety of reasons, including the conflicts between Spain and other European powers during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, attacks by hostile Inuit , declining whale populations, and perhaps the opening up of the Spitsbergen fishery in 1611. The first voyages to Spitsbergen by the English, Dutch, and Danish relied on Basque specialists, with the Basque provinces sending out their own whaler in 1612. The following season San Sebastián and Saint-Jean-de-Luz sent out

2124-452: A whaling instructor, Ichabod Paddock. The south side of the island was divided into three and a half mile sections, each with a mast erected to look for the spouts of right whales. Once a whale was sighted, rowing boats were sent from the shore. If the whale was successfully killed it was towed ashore, flensed (i.e., the blubber was cut off), and the blubber boiled in cauldrons known as " try pots ". Even when whales were caught far offshore,

2242-564: Is La Soufrière volcano at 1,234 m (4,049 ft). Other major mountains on St Vincent are (from north to south) Richmond Peak, Mount Brisbane , Colonarie Mountain, Grand Bonhomme , Petit Bonhomme and Mount St Andrew. The country is home to two terrestrial ecoregions : Windward Islands moist forests and the Lesser Antillean dry forests . It had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.95/10, ranking it 61st globally out of 172 countries. Most of Saint Vincent and

2360-567: Is Ralph Gonsalves , elected in 2001 as head of the Unity Labour Party . The legislative branch of government is the unicameral House of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines , seating 15 elected members representing single-member constituencies and six appointed members known as Senators. The parliamentary term of office is five years, although the Prime Minister may call elections at any time. The judicial branch of government

2478-437: Is dolphin drive hunting , in which a number of small boats are positioned between the animal and the open sea and the animals are herded towards shore in an attempt to beach them. This method is still used for smaller species such as pilot whales , beluga whales , porpoises and narwhals , as described in A Pattern of Islands , a memoir published by British administrator Arthur Grimble in 1952. Another early method used

SECTION 20

#1732869112852

2596-702: Is divided into district courts, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in London being the court of last resort. The two political parties with parliamentary representation are the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Unity Labour Party (ULP). The parliamentary opposition is made up of the largest minority stakeholder in the general elections, headed by

2714-629: Is found in the spermaceti organ , located forward and above the skull. Hunting sperm required longer whaling voyages. Whale oil was essential for illuminating homes and businesses in the 19th century, and lubricated the machines of the Industrial Revolution . Baleen (the long keratin strips that hang from the top of whales' mouths) was used by manufacturers in the United States and Europe to make varied consumer goods. British competition and import duties drove New England whaling ships out of

2832-455: Is licensed for 400 passengers. The Admiral II is a similarly sized vessel with a capacity for 250 passengers. Travellers on the Admiral II have a choice between air-conditioned indoor seating or covered outdoor seating. The passage between Kingstown and Port Elizabeth is a 9-mile (14 km) trip taking approximately one hour. Pedestrians such as hitchhikers and backpackers have the option of

2950-436: Is located 45 minutes' drive from Argyle International Airport and is served by two companies, Bequia Express and Admiralty Transport. Bequia Express uses a family-owned ferry that is 148 feet (45 m) long with a cargo space measuring 4,440 square feet (412 m) of which 3,000 square feet (280 m) is sheltered with a 14-foot (4.3 m) ceiling. The approximate capacity of the ship is 28 cars or 10 to 20 containers and

3068-403: Is next to Port Elizabeth and is situated inside Admiralty Bay on the west coast. The beach was originally known as Tony Gibbons , and continues to be known by that name locally, though the origin of this name is uncertain. Also on the west coast are the island's main port and a large natural harbour. Bequia is popular among cruising yachts , expats and tourists . One of the busiest times of

3186-633: Is thought that Henry Morgan may also have anchored in Admiralty Bay, as it was then the safest natural harbour in the Eastern Caribbean during hurricane season. Bequia was used as a repair facility for ships. Beside Nelson's Dockyard on Antigua , and the Carlyle in Bridgetown, Barbados, there were no other drydocks or shipyards in the area. Wooden shipbuilding and ship-repair on Bequia was possible due to

3304-564: The Arctic fishery into the 20th century, sending their last on the eve of the First World War . The oldest written mention of whaling in Japanese records is from Kojiki , the oldest Japanese historical book, which was written in the 7th century CE. This book describes whale meat being eaten by Emperor Jimmu . In Man'yōshū , an anthology of poems from the 8th century CE, the word "Whaling" (いさなとり)

3422-468: The Bay of Biscay . The Bangudae petroglyphs show sperm whales , humpback whales and North Pacific right whales surrounded by boats, and suggest that drogues, harpoons and lines were being used to kill small whales as early as 6000   BCE. Cetacean bones of the same period were also found in the area, reflecting the importance of whales in the diet of prehistoric coastal people. Whale bones recovered near

3540-673: The Commonwealth of Nations , the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas , and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). In April 2021, the La Soufrière volcano erupted several times with "explosive events" continuing for two weeks. By 12 April, 16,000 residents had evacuated the area. Assistance and emergency financial support was being provided by several nearby islands,

3658-693: The First Carib War , which lasted from 1772 to 1773. During the Anglo-French War (1778–1783) , the French recaptured St Vincent in 1779. However, the British regained control under the Treaty of Versailles (1783) . The uneasy peace between the British and the Garifuna led to the Second Carib War , which lasted from 1795 to 1797. The Garifuna were led by paramount chief Joseph Chatoyer and supported by

Bequia - Misplaced Pages Continue

3776-624: The Gulf of Maine . In 1880, with the decline of menhaden fish , steamers began to switch to hunting fin and humpback whales using bomb lances. This has been called "shoot-and-salvage" because of the high-rate of loss due to whales sinking, lines breaking, etc. The first such whale hunting ship was the steamer Mabel Bird , which towed whale carcasses to an oil processing plant in Boothbay Harbor . At its height in 1885 four or five steamers were engaged in whale fishery at Boothbay Harbour, dwindling to one by

3894-574: The La Soufrière volcano erupted, sending ash several miles into the atmosphere. Approximately 16,000 people were evacuated in the days leading up to the eruption. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines lies to the west of Barbados , south of Saint Lucia and north of Grenada in the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles , an island arc of the Caribbean Sea . The islands of Saint Vincent and

4012-792: The Leader of the Opposition . The current opposition leader is Godwin Friday . Saint Vincent has no formal armed forces, although the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force includes a Special Service Unit as well as a militia that has a supporting role on the island. In 2017, Saint Vincent signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons . Administratively, Saint Vincent and

4130-579: The Phoenix was the only vessel to go out, returning with a record 234 tons of oil. The owners of the Phoenix , the Chapmans, therefore sent out two ships in 1833, the Camden and the Phoenix . Both vessels returned with large volumes of oil, but the price of whale oil and whalebone had fallen. After unsuccessful voyages in 1837 both ships were withdrawn from whaling, ending whaling from Whitby. The Southern fishery

4248-466: The Seven Years' War , a claim confirmed by the Treaty of Paris (1763) . On taking control of the island in 1763, the British laid the foundations of Fort Charlotte and also continued the importation of slaves to work on the island's plantations. The Garifuna , an Afro-Indigenous creole people on the island, were opposed to the British presence and entered into open conflict against the British, starting

4366-521: The Southern Ocean . Emilia returned to London in 1790 with a cargo of 139 tons of whale oil . The first sperm whale killed in the Southern fishery was taken off the coast of Chile on 3 March 1789. In 1784 the British had 15 whaleships in the southern fishery, all from London. Between 1793 and 1799 there was an average of 60 vessels in the trade, increasing to 72 in 1800–1809. The first sperm whale off

4484-652: The Strait of Gibraltar raise the possibility that whales were hunted in the Mediterranean Sea by ancient Rome . Around 1525 Basques began whaling and fishing for cod off Newfoundland, Labrador, and similar places. In his History of Brittany (1582), the French jurist and historian Bertrand d'Argentré made the claim that the Basques, Bretons , and Normans were the first to reach the New World "before any other people". The Bordeaux jurist Etienne de Cleirac (1647) made

4602-807: The US , and cooperates with regional political and economic organisations such as the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and CARICOM . The island nation's sixth embassy overseas was opened on 8 August 2019 in Taipei, Taiwan, after Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves' official visit to the Republic of China (Taiwan) ; the other five are located in London (a High Commission as Commonwealth countries have high commissions rather than embassies in each other's countries), Washington D.C., Havana, Caracas and Brussels. On 6 July 1994 at Sherbourne Conference Centre, St Michael, Barbados, as

4720-571: The United Kingdom , and agencies such as the United Nations . The first significant offer of long-term funding, of US$ 20 million, was announced on 13 April 2021 by the World Bank . Christopher Columbus , the first European to reach the island, named it after St. Vincent of Saragossa ( San Vicente de Zaragoza ) whose feast day was on the day Columbus first saw it (22 January 1498). The name of

4838-576: The War of Spanish Succession and established peace between the Spanish and British Empires, Great Britain obtained the lucrative monopoly over the Asiento slave trade . Bequia was under French control in the 18th century and during the Seven Years' War with England, the island was used by the fleets of their Spanish and Dutch allies to take on supplies, while British ships were banned. The 1763 Treaty of Paris produced

Bequia - Misplaced Pages Continue

4956-764: The West Indies , at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea , where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean. Its 369 km (142 sq mi) territory consists of the main island of Saint Vincent and, south of that, two-thirds of the northern part of the Grenadines , a chain of 32 smaller islands. Some of the Grenadines are inhabited— Bequia , Mustique , Union Island , Canouan , Petit Saint Vincent , Palm Island , Mayreau , Young Island —while others are not: Tobago Cays , Baliceaux , Battowia , Quatre , Petite Mustique , Savan and Petit Nevis . To

5074-472: The development of a sugar industry and the production of related products including molasses and rum. Other major produce included coffee , indigo and arrowroot . At one point in time, the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines were the single largest producer of arrowroot starch in the world. Currently, Hairoun and Vincy strong rum are major export products primarily to the European Union. Under

5192-496: The history of whaling from prehistoric times up to the commencement of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986. Whaling has been an important subsistence and economic activity in multiple regions throughout human history. Commercial whaling dramatically reduced in importance during the 19th century due to the development of alternatives to whale oil for lighting, and

5310-576: The 14th century, Basque whalers were making "seasonal trips" to the English Channel and southern Ireland . The fishery spread to Terranova ( Labrador and Newfoundland ) in the second quarter of the 16th century, and to Iceland by the early 17th century. They established whaling stations in Terranova, mainly in Red Bay , and hunted bowheads as well as right whales. The fishery in Terranova declined for

5428-506: The 16th century, various Amerindian groups passed through or settled on St. Vincent and the Grenadines, including the Ciboney , Arawak , and Kalinago people. The island now known as Saint Vincent was originally named Youloumain by the native Island Caribs who called themselves Kalina. It is thought that Christopher Columbus sighted the island in 1498, giving it the name St Vincent. The Kalinago people aggressively opposed European settlement on Saint Vincent. Various attempts by

5546-440: The 17th century. According to an early account of the French West Indies , which considered Bequia as part of Grenada , Bequia was too inaccessible to colonize and Kalinago and Arawaks used the island for fishing and farming. A few Portuguese and Dutch slave ships en route to Sint Eustatius from West Africa reportedly shipwrecked on the Grenadine reefs. As a result of the Treaty of Utrecht (1713-1715), which brought an end to

5664-426: The 18th century, but Basque whaling in those regions appears to have ended in 1756 at the beginning of the Seven Years' War . Encouraged by reports of whales off the coast of Spitsbergen , Norway, in 1610, the English Muscovy Company (also known as the Russian Company) sent a whaling expedition there the following year. The expedition was a disaster, with both ships sent being lost. The crews returned to England in

5782-609: The 1960s, the British again tried to unify all of its regional islands, including Saint Vincent, into a single politically unified entity under British control. The unification was to be called the West Indies Federation and was driven by a desire to gain independence from the British government. However, the attempt collapsed in 1962. Saint Vincent was granted "associate statehood" status by Britain on 27 October 1969. This gave Saint Vincent complete control over its internal affairs but fell short of full independence in law. In April 1979, La Soufrière erupted once more. Although no one

5900-409: The Atlantic slave trade. Gonsalves won a second term in 2005, a third in 2010, and a fourth in 2015. In 2009, a referendum was held on a proposal to adopt a new constitution that would make the country a republic , replacing Queen Elizabeth II as head of state with a non-executive President, a proposal supported by Prime Minister Gonsalves. A two-thirds majority was required, but the referendum

6018-483: The Bequians, the group that maintains the hunt, are not truly indigenous." The Whaling Commissioner for Monaco, Frederic Briand, argued that whaling "started by a settler's family as recently as 1875 does not qualify as 'aboriginal'." Louise Mitchell, speaking on behalf of the Eastern Caribbean Coalition of Environmental Awareness stated that there was no documented history of whaling in the islands, and that "there have been many archaeological excavations conducted, and there

SECTION 50

#1732869112852

6136-445: The British Government offered a 'bounty' for whale oil, leading to further expansion. However, due to reductions in the bounty and wars with America and France, London's Greenland fleet fell to 19 in 1796. During the 17th and 18th century North Frisian Islanders had a reputation of being very skilled mariners, and most Dutch and English whaling ships bound for Greenland and Svalbard would recruit their crew from these islands. Around

6254-417: The Criminal Code states: Any person, who in public or private, commits an act of gross indecency with another person of the same sex, or procures or attempts to procure another person of the same sex to commit an act of gross indecency with him or her, is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for five years. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines maintains close ties to Canada , the United Kingdom and

6372-455: The Dutch, Lægerneset for the English, and Copenhagen Bay for the Danes. Beginning in the 1630s, for the Dutch at least, whaling expanded into the open sea. Gradually whaling in the open sea and along the ice floes to the west of Spitsbergen replaced bay whaling. At first, the blubber was tried out at the end of the season at Smeerenburg or elsewhere along the coast, but after mid-century the stations were abandoned entirely in favor of processing

6490-421: The English and Dutch rebuffed his efforts—two ships from Bordeaux chartered by a merchant in San Sebastian were also sent away by the Dutch. The following year, 1616, the English, with a fleet of ten ships, occupied all the major harbors, appropriated the Dutch hut, and made a rich haul, while the Dutch, preoccupied with Jan Mayen , only sent four ships to Spitsbergen, which "kept together in odd places... and made

6608-412: The English and Dutch to claim the island proved unsuccessful, and it was the French who were first able to colonise the island, settling in the town of Barrouallie on the leeward side of St Vincent in 1719. The French imported Black slaves to work on plantations producing sugar, coffee, indigo, tobacco, cotton and cocoa. The British captured the island and drove out the French from Barrouallie during

6726-484: The French had a station from 1633 to 1638, until they were driven away by the Danes (see below); and finally English Bay ( Engelskbukta ), as well as the number of features named by English whalemen and explorers—for example, Isfjorden, Bellsund, and Hornsund, to name a few. Hostilities continued after 1619. In 1626 nine ships from Hull and York destroyed the Muscovy Company's fort and station in Bell Sound, and sailed to their own in Midterhukhamna. Here they were found by

6844-417: The French, notably Victor Hugues who was based on the island of Martinique . They were eventually defeated in 1797 by British forces under the command Sir Ralph Abercromby ; a peace treaty agreement was made which resulted in almost 5,000 Garifuna being deported to Roatán , an island off the coast of Honduras , and to Belize and Baliceaux in the Grenadines. In 1806, the construction of Fort Charlotte

6962-444: The Grenadines mail boat which travels to Port Elizabeth at irregular intervals. The mail boat calls at Canouan , Mayreau and Union islands although boarding at Mayreau can be difficult, as the vessel remains in deeper waters, with passengers being required to embark and leave through the use of smaller craft, which land on the nearby beach. The island has a variety of communication systems including standard telephone and fax lines,

7080-399: The Grenadines include the main island of Saint Vincent 344 km (133 sq mi) and the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines 45 km (17 sq mi), which are a chain of smaller islands stretching south from Saint Vincent to Grenada. There are 32 islands and cays that make up St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). Nine are inhabited, including the mainland St Vincent and

7198-412: The Grenadines is divided into six parishes . Five parishes are on Saint Vincent, while the sixth is made up of the Grenadine islands. Kingstown is located in the Parish of Saint George and is the capital city and central administrative centre of the country. "Acts of gross indecency", which may be defined to include homosexual activity , are illegal in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Section 148 of

SECTION 60

#1732869112852

7316-558: The Grenadines islands: Young Island, Bequia , Mustique , Canouan , Union Island , Mayreau , Petit St Vincent and Palm Island. Prominent uninhabited islands of the Grenadines include Petit Nevis , used by whalers , and Petit Mustique , which was the centre of a prominent real-estate scam in the early 2000s. The capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is Kingstown , Saint Vincent. The main island of Saint Vincent measures 26 km (16 mi) long, 15 km (9.3 mi) in width and 344 km (133 sq mi) in area. From

7434-410: The Grenadines lies within the Main Development Region for Atlantic tropical cyclones . Recently, in 2023, the islands were directly impacted by Tropical Storm Bret . Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy , with Charles III as King of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines . He does not reside in the islands and is represented as head of state in

7552-405: The Grenadines refers to the Spanish city of Granada , but to differentiate it from the island of the same name , the diminutive was used. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the Kalinago natives who inhabited the island of St. Vincent called it Youloumain, in honour of Youlouca, the spirit of the rainbows, who they believed inhabited the island. Before the arrival of Europeans and Africans in

7670-471: The Netherlands Whaling Company, which operated from 1869 to 1872. In 1996, the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park was established, offering exhibits on the history of the "City that Lit the World". Whaling on the Pacific Northwest Coast encompassed both aboriginal and commercial whaling. The indigenous peoples of this coast have whaling traditions dating back millennia. A memoir by John R. Jewitt , an English blacksmith who spent three years as

7788-596: The New World was in the second quarter of the 16th century. It appears to have been the French Basques, following the lead of Breton cod-fishermen that reported finding rich whaling grounds in Terranova ( Newfoundland ). The Basques called the area they frequented Grandbaya (Grand Bay), today known as the Strait of Belle Isle , which separates Newfoundland from southern Labrador. Their initial voyages to this area were mixed cod and whaling ventures. Instead of returning home with whale oil, they brought back whale meat in brine. The French Basque ship La Catherine d'Urtubie made

7906-557: The North Atlantic and into the southern oceans, ultimately making whaling into a global economic enterprise. The mid 19th century was the golden age of American whaling. From the Civil War , when Confederate raiders targeted American whalers, through the early 20th century, the American whaling industry suffered economic competition, especially from kerosene , a superior fuel for lighting. A number of New England towns were heavily involved in whaling, particularly Nantucket and New Bedford . Nantucket began whaling in 1690 after recruiting

8024-428: The agreement on 19 August 2016, Guyana. This treaty covered taxes, residence, tax jurisdictions, capital gains, business profits, interest, dividends, royalties and other areas. On 30 June 2014, St. Vincent and the Grenadines signed a Model 1 agreement with the United States of America with respect to Foreign Account Tax Compliance (Act) or FATCA. According to the updated site as of 16 January 2017, on 13 May 2016

8142-474: The beach consisting of an arch of two whale ribs, as well as whale vertebrae mounted on the bar seats and a whale rib running the length of the bar. Constructed in 1992, the James F. Mitchell International Airport for small planes is located near Paget Farm. With a runway length of 3,609 feet (1,100 metres), Bequia can be reached by plane with daily connections from Kingstown , Bridgetown (Barbados) and surrounding islands. Regularly scheduled ferries run from

8260-456: The blubber upon the return of the ship to port. The English meanwhile stuck resolutely to bay whaling, and didn't make the transfer to pelagic (offshore) whaling until long after. In 1719, the Dutch began "regular and intensive whaling" in the Davis Strait , between Greenland and Canada's Baffin Island . The British South Sea Company financed 172 whaling voyages to Greenland from London's Howland Dock between 1725 and 1732. Beginning in 1733,

8378-426: The blubber was still boiled on shore well into the 18th century. New Bedford whaling was established when prominent Nantucket whaling families moved their operations to the town for economic reasons, and made New Bedford the fourth busiest port in the United States. In Herman Melville 's novel Moby-Dick the narrator begins his whaling voyage from New Bedford. In the late 1870s, schooners began hunting humpbacks in

8496-784: The bowhead whale ) and to a lesser extent by the Makah ( gray whale ). Commercial whaling in British Columbia and southeast Alaska ended in the late 1960s. In the 1840s, large numbers of bowhead whale were discovered around the Bering Strait. In 1848, American whaler Thomas Welcome Roys returned with a significant catch which drew the industry's attention. More than 500 whales were caught the following year and more than 2,000 in 1850. The whaling boom drew more than 220 ships in 1852 but it collapsed almost as soon as it began, with catches severely diminishing in 1853. The first mention of Basque whaling

8614-461: The centre-left Saint Vincent Labour Party (SVLP) was the country's first Prime Minister (he had been Premier since 1974), ruling until his defeat in the 1984 Vincentian general election by James Fitz-Allen Mitchell of the centre-right New Democratic Party (NDP). During Cato's time in office, there was a brief rebellion on Union Island in December 1979 led by Lennox 'Bumba' Charles . Inspired by

8732-461: The coast between themselves, to the exclusion of third parties. The English received the four principal harbors in the middle of the west coast, while the Dutch could settle anywhere to the south or north. The agreement explicitly stated that it was only meant to last for this season. In 1615 the Dutch arrived with a fleet of eleven ships and three men-of-war under Adriaen Block , occupied Fairhaven , Bell Sound , and Horn Sound by force, and built

8850-541: The coast of New South Wales , Australia, was taken by the ship Britannia (Commander Thomas Melvill) in October 1791. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ( / ˌ ɡ r ɛ n ə ˈ d iː n z / GREH -nə- DEENZ ) is an island country in the eastern Caribbean . It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles , which lie in

8968-600: The collapse in whale populations. Nevertheless, some nations continue to hunt whales even today. Humans have engaged in whaling since prehistoric times. Early depictions of whaling at the Neolithic Bangudae site in Korea, unearthed by researchers from Kyungpook National University , may date back to 6000   BCE. The University of Alaska Fairbanks has described evidence for whaling at least as early as circa 1000   BCE. The oldest known method of catching cetaceans

9086-469: The country by the Governor-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines , currently Susan Dougan (since 1 August 2019). The office of Governor-General has mostly ceremonial functions including the opening of the islands' House of Assembly and the appointment of various government officials. Control of the government rests with the elected Prime Minister and their cabinet. The current Prime Minister

9204-500: The delegations from Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Chile, and Costa Rica. Dominican Republic delegate Peter Sanchez said the St Vincent and the Grenadines hunt was "artisanal whaling out of control," and that the hunters have "repeatedly broken the rules—hunting for young whales and pregnant females." Other delegates pointed out that St. Vincent and the Grenadines' bid "should not qualify under ASW [Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling] rules because

9322-609: The end of the decade. Over 100 whales were killed annually during some years. The fishery ended in the late 1890s. In the 1850s, the Euro–American whalemen began a serious attempt at catching rorquals such as the blue whale and fin whale . In the 1860s Captain Thomas Welcome Roys invented a rocket harpoon, making a significant contribution to the development of the California whaling industry. In 1877, John Nelson Fletcher,

9440-447: The expulsion of the Danes from Smeerenburg and the French from Copenhagen Bay. In 1634 the Dutch burned down one of the Danes' huts. There were also two battles this season, one between the English and French (the latter won) and the other between London and Yarmouth (the latter won, as well). In 1637 and again in 1638 the Danes drove the French out of Port Louis and seized their cargoes. In

9558-652: The famous pirate Edward Teach had his base in Bequia. The opening shot of the movie Blackbeard, Pirate of the Caribbean , made by the BBC , displays a replica of his first ship off the coast of Bequia in the St. Vincent passage. According to local legend, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was not only Teach's base, but also the place from which Sir Francis Drake planned his attacks on the Spanish admiralty in Don Blas de Lezo 's Cartagena. Indeed, it

9676-406: The first known voyage involving whale products in 1530, when she supposedly returned with 4,500 dried and cured cod, as well as twelve barrels of whale meat "without flippers or tail" (a phrase for whale meat in brine). After a period of development, expeditions were sent purely aimed at obtaining whale oil. The first establishments for processing whale oil in southern Labrador may have been built in

9794-475: The first permanent structure on Spitsbergen: a wooden hut to store their equipment in. The ten ships sent by the Muscovy Company were relegated to the south side of Fairhaven, Sir Thomas Smith's Bay , and Ice Sound . The Danes meanwhile sent a fleet of five sail under Gabriel Kruse to demand a toll from the foreign whalers and in doing so assert Christian IV's claim of sovereignty over the region, but both

9912-412: The following three seasons. When this concession expired, the English twice (in 1623 and 1624 ) tried to expel the Dutch from Spitsbergen, failing both times. In 1619 the Dutch and Danes, who had sent their first whaling expedition to Spitsbergen in 1617, firmly settled themselves on Amsterdam Island , a small island on the northwestern tip of Spitsbergen; while the English did the same in the fjords to

10030-550: The former year they also seized a French ship in the open sea and detained it in Copenhagen Bay, while in the latter year they also held two Dutch ships captive in the same bay for over a month, which led to protests from the Dutch. Following the events of 1638 hostilities, for the most part, ceased, with the exception of a few minor incidents in the 1640s between the French and Danes, as well as between Copenhagen and Hamburg and London and Yarmouth, respectively. The species hunted

10148-586: The golden era of Basque whaling in Labrador in the 16th century.) The whale was harpooned and lanced to death and either towed to the stern of the ship or to the shore at low tide, where men with long knives would flense (cut up) the blubber. The blubber was boiled in large copper kettles and cooled in large wooden vessels, after which it was funneled into casks. The stations at first only consisted of tents of sail and crude furnaces, but were soon replaced by more permanent structures of wood and brick, such as Smeerenburg for

10266-448: The heavily armed flagship of the London whaling fleet; a two-hour battle ensued, resulting in defeat for the Hull and York fleet and their expulsion from Spitsbergen. In 1630 both the ships of Hull and Great Yarmouth , who had recently joined the trade, were driven away clean (empty) by the ships from London. From 1631 to 1633, the Danes, French, and Dutch quarreled with each other, resulting in

10384-585: The kill. The limit is rarely met, with no catch some years. Bequia engaged into local whaling in the late 19th century and continues today. At the 2012 meeting of the IWC, the Whaling Commissioners renewed the annual quota of whales for all three groups who submitted joint bids: Alaskan Inupiat , Russian indigenous people in Chukotka in eastern Siberia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines , despite protestations of

10502-516: The late 1530s, although it wasn't until 1548 that notarial documents confirm this. By the 1540s, when the Spanish Basques began sending whaling expeditions to Newfoundland, the ventures were no longer experimental, but a "resounding financial success from their inception." By the end of the decade they were delivering large cargoes of whale oil to Bristol , London , and Flanders . A large market existed for "lumera", as whale oil used for lighting

10620-640: The main island of Saint Vincent . Three ferries operate between the capital, Kingstown, and the local port of Port Elizabeth. The other islands in the Grenadines can be reached by the last operational schooner in the Caribbean, the antique original Bequia-built SS Friendship Rose , as well as other charter/tour boats that are widely available and based in Port Elizabeth, islands for matches. The ferry offers daytime as well as overnight charters, and onboard picnics are locally renowned. This has resulted in significant increases in mostly domestic tourism. The ferry pier

10738-544: The mechanics of early whaling as from straightforward international animosities. In the first years of the fishery England, France, the United Provinces and later Denmark–Norway shipped expert Basque whalemen for their expeditions. At the time Basque whaling relied on the utilization of stations ashore where blubber could be processed into oil. In order to allow a rapid transference of this technique to Spitsbergen, suitable anchorages had to be selected, of which there were only

10856-429: The most northern to the most southern points, the Grenadine islands belonging to Saint Vincent span 60.4 km (37.5 mi), with a combined area of 45 km (17 sq mi). The island of Saint Vincent is volcanic and heavily forested and includes little level ground. The windward side of the island is very rocky and steep, while the leeward side has more sandy beaches and bays. Saint Vincent's highest peak

10974-421: The north of Saint Vincent lies Saint Lucia , to the east is Barbados , and Grenada lies to the south. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a population density of over 300 inhabitants/km (700 per sq mi), with an estimated population of 110,872. Kingstown is the capital and main port. Saint Vincent has a British colonial history, and is now part of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States , CARICOM ,

11092-487: The north-west Pacific Ocean . Japan's traditional whaling was eventually replaced in the late 19th century and early 20th century with modern methods. Britain's involvement in whaling extended from 1611 to the 1960s and had three phases. The Northern (or Arctic) whale fishery lasted from 1611 to 1914 and involved whaling primarily off Greenland , and particularly the Davis Strait . The Southern (or South Seas) whale fishery

11210-570: The presence of cedar trees on the island and a sufficiently deep and sheltered harbour. Bequia is one of the few places in the world where limited whaling is still allowed. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) classifies the island's hunt under the regulations concerning aboriginal whaling . Natives of Bequia are allowed to catch up to four humpback whales per year using only traditional hunting methods of hand-thrown harpoons in small, open sailboats, but these methods are regularly abused by using speedboats to chase whales and harpoon guns for

11328-644: The recent revolution on Grenada, Charles alleged neglect of the Union by the central government. However, the revolt was swiftly put down and Charles was arrested. There were also a series of strikes in the early 1980s. James Mitchell remained Prime Minister for 16 years until 2000, winning three consecutive elections . Mitchell was at the forefront of attempts to improve regional integration. In 1980 and 1987, hurricanes damaged many banana and coconut plantations. Hurricane seasons were also very active in 1998 and 1999, with Hurricane Lenny in 1999 causing extensive damage to

11446-415: The ships, including more than 3,000 African American seamen. Early whaling efforts concentrated on right whales and humpbacks, which were found near the American coast. As these populations declined and the market for whale products grew, American whalers began hunting sperm whales. The sperm whale was particularly prized for spermaceti , a dense waxy substance that burns with an exceedingly bright flame that

11564-516: The site of a former coconut plantation and home to agricultural animals, Industry Bay and Park Bay, where the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary is located. The island's hills are much lower than the peaks of St. Vincent, 10 miles (16 km) to the north, so they do not receive as many rain showers. Princess Margaret , who had a home on nearby Mustique , visited Bequia in the 1950s and had a beach renamed in her honour. Princess Margaret Beach

11682-419: The south. The Danish–Dutch settlement came to be called Smeerenburg , which would become the centre of operations for the latter in the first decades of the fishery. Numerous place names attest to the various nations' presence, including Copenhagen Bay ( Kobbefjorden ) and Danes Island ( Danskøya ), where the Danes established a station from 1631 to 1658; Port Louis or Refuge Français ( Hamburgbukta ), where

11800-504: The techniques developed by Taiji , the Japanese mainly hunted four species of whale: the North Pacific right, the humpback, the fin, and the gray whale . They also caught the occasional blue, sperm, or sei/Bryde's whale . In 1853, the US naval officer Matthew Perry forced Japan to open up to foreign trade. One purpose of his mission was to gain access to ports for the American whaling fleet in

11918-472: The war ended in 1783 and the industry began to prosper, using bases at Nantucket and then New Bedford . Whalers took greater economic risks in search of profit, expanding their hunting grounds. Investment and financing arrangements allowed managers of whaling ventures to share their risks by selling some equity, but retain a substantial portion of the profit. As a result, they had little incentive to plan their voyages to minimize risk. Ten thousand seamen manned

12036-512: The west coast of the island. In 2000, Arnhim Eustace became Prime Minister after taking over the leadership of the NDP following Mitchell's retirement; he was defeated a year later by Ralph Gonsalves of the Unity Labour Party (successor party to the SVLP). Gonsalves—a left-winger known in the country as "Comrade Ralph" —argued that European nations owe Caribbean nations reparations for their role in

12154-466: The year 1700, Föhr island had a total population of roughly 6,000, of whom 1,600 were whalers. In 1762, 25% of all shipmasters on Dutch whaling vessels were people from Föhr, and the South Sea Company 's commanding officers and harpooners were exclusively from Föhr. Sylt island and Borkum island were also notable homes of whaling personnel. The British would continue to send out whalers to

12272-402: The year is the annual Easter Regatta and Music Fest. Two scuba diving stores run dive trips to 28 identified dive sites around Bequia. There are several wrecks and shallow caves accessible to advanced divers. It is not unusual to see Hawksbill turtles , lobsters, moray eels and many kinds of fish when diving around Bequia. Runaway and shipwrecked slaves inhabited the island of St. Vincent in

12390-481: The years 1548 to 1588, with the largest quantity dealing with the harbor of Red Bay or "Less Buttes"⁠—both names in reference to the red granite cliffs of the region. The references include acts of piracy in the 1550s, the loss of a ship in 1565, a disastrous wintering in 1576–77, and, on Christmas Eve 1584, a will written for a dying Basque, Joanes de Echaniz; the first known Canadian will. The last overwintering in Red Bay

12508-572: Was active from 1775 to 1859 and involved whale hunting first in the South Atlantic, then in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. British law defined and differentiated the two trades. Finally, modern British involvement in whaling extended from 1904 to 1963. Each of these three trades involved different species of whales as targets. From 1753 to 1837 whalers from Whitby were active in the Davis Strait. In 1832

12626-478: Was called. "Sain" or "grasa de ballena" was also used (by mixing it with tar and oakum ) for caulking ships, as well as in the textile industry. Ambroise Paré (1510–90), who visited Bayonne when King Charles IX (r. 1560–74) was there in 1564, said they used the baleen to "make farthingales , stays for women, knife-handles, and many other things". Most documents dealing with whaling in Newfoundland concern

12744-644: Was completed. The La Soufrière volcano erupted in 1812, resulting in considerable destruction. The British abolished slavery in Saint Vincent (as well as in all other British West Indies colonies) in 1834, and an apprenticeship period followed which ended in 1838. After its end, labour shortages on the plantations resulted, and were initially addressed by the immigration of indentured servants; starting from 1845, many Portuguese Catholic settlers arrived from Madeira , with around 2,100 arrivals from Portugal recorded from 1845 to 1850. Between 1861 and 1888,

12862-502: Was defeated 29,019 votes (55.64 per cent) to 22,493 (43.13 per cent). Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council 2020–21. In November 2020, Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines since 2001, made history by securing the fifth consecutive victory of his Unity Labour Party (ULP) in general election. In 2021, on 9 April,

12980-481: Was frequently used in depicting the ocean or beaches. One of the first records of whaling using harpoons is from the 1570s at Morosaki, a bay attached to Ise Bay . This method of whaling spread to Kii (before 1606), Shikoku (1624), northern Kyushu (1630s), and Nagato (around 1672). Kakuemon Wada, later known as Kakuemon Taiji, was said to have invented net whaling sometime between 1675 and 1677. This method soon spread to Shikoku (1681) and northern Kyushu (1684) Using

13098-524: Was in demand chiefly for lamps. By the 18th century whaling in Nantucket had become a highly lucrative deep-sea industry, with voyages extending for years at a time and traveling as far as South Pacific waters. During the American Revolution , the British navy targeted American whaling ships as legitimate prizes. In turn, many whalers fitted out as privateers against the British. Whaling recovered after

13216-409: Was installed in 1877, a legislative council was created in 1925 with a limited franchise, and universal adult suffrage was granted in 1951. During the period of its control of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Britain made several attempts to unify the island with the other Windward Islands as a single entity, to simplify British control in the sub-region through a single unified administration. In

13334-420: Was killed, thousands were evacuated and extensive agricultural damage occurred. On 27 October 1979, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gained full independence; the date is now the country's Independence Day , a public holiday . The country opted to remain within the Commonwealth of Nations , retaining the then-Queen Elizabeth II as Monarch , represented locally by a Governor-General . Milton Cato of

13452-566: Was launched when Samuel Enderby , along with Alexander Champion and John St Barbe , using American vessels and crews, sent out twelve whaleships in 1776. In 1786, the Triumph was the first British whaler to be sent east of the Cape of Good Hope , and in 1788, the whaler Emilia was sent west around Cape Horn into the Pacific Ocean to become the first ship of any nation to conduct whaling operations in

13570-598: Was made in 1059, when it was said to have been practiced at the Basque town of Bayonne . The fishery spread to what is now the Spanish Basque Country in 1150, when King Sancho the Wise of Navarre granted petitions for the warehousing of such commodities as whalebone (baleen). At first, they hunted the North Atlantic right whale , using watchtowers (known as vigias) to look for their distinctive twin vapor spouts. By

13688-529: Was made in 1603. During their onshore stays, the whalers developed relations with North American natives that led to the establishment of a purpose-specific language with both American native and Basque elements. Beginning in the late colonial period, the United States grew to become the preeminent whaling nation in the world by the 1830s. American whaling's origins were in New York and New England, including Cape Cod , Massachusetts and nearby cities. Whale oil

13806-497: Was no evidence found whatsoever of whale hunting by aboriginal peoples. Neither whale remains nor weapons that could have been used to kill such a large mammals were ever found; neither are any images of whales inscribed on our petroglyphs." There is a small whaling museum on the island chronicling local whaling's history. A feature of the Port Elizabeth waterfront is the Whaleboner Bar & Restaurant. This bar has an entrance onto

13924-430: Was the bowhead whale , a baleen whale that yielded large quantities of oil and baleen. The whales entered the fjords in the spring following the breakup of the ice. They were spotted by the whalemen from suitable vantage points, and pursued by shallops , chaloupes or chalupas , which were manned by six men. (These terms derive from the Basque word "txalupa", used to name the whaling boats that were widely utilized during

#851148