Ronas Voe whaling station

M00488

Ronas Voe whaling station

1904-1907

Ronas Voe whaling station. In 1903 two Norwegian whaling companies set up factories in Shetland. This was the first time whaling had ever been based on UK territory. At first, the inhabitants, including the local fishermen, welcomed the idea of whaling on Shetland. However, bad herring catches in the first year of the two industries being carried out at the same time led to complaints that blood, offal and whale carcasses drifting off to sea from the stations attracted sharks, which frightened the herring away. An official committee was set up in 1904 but was unable to find any connection. Because of the aggravation, and because of the North Atlantic being more or less fished out of whales, and also with the discovery of very rich whaling grounds around the Antarctic, whaling from Shetland only lasted for about 20 years.

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