Whaling Catch Summary Statistics

Overview This record describes the aggregated (summary) whale catch dataset compiled and maintained by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The dataset brings together historical catch data originally reported to the Bureau of International Whaling Statistics (BIWS, 1930-1986) and subsequently to the IWC, forming a unified database of global whaling activity. The summary data provide aggregated counts of large whales caught since 1900, typically reported by expedition or land station and by whaling season. In some cases, partial information is also available for catches from the late 19th century. These summaries incorporate information from sources where individual whale records are not available, thereby extending the overall coverage of the dataset. The dataset represents the outcome of a long-term effort by the IWC to collate, reconcile, and standardise catch data from multiple historical and contemporary sources. During this process, improvements were made to data quality, including more accurate assignment of species and geographic areas. The aggregated dataset supports analyses of large-scale patterns and trends in commercial whaling, contributing to a broader understanding of the magnitude, distribution, and development of whaling activities over time. It also helps identify gaps and uncertainties in the historical record, highlighting areas where further archival research may be needed. Data Structure The dataset is organised across a MEDIN meta data file, three Excel files and a shapefile of expedition areas. The MEDIN metadata (in XML format) describes the aggregated whale catch dataset compiled and maintained by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The metadata document outlines the structure, content, and provenance of the summary dataset, including definitions of variables, spatial and temporal coverage, data sources, and methods of aggregation. Two of the Excel files contain whale catch totals by species for each expedition and season, with one covering the period before the 1985/1986 moratorium and the other covering the period after the moratorium. Each row generally represents a single expedition in a given year, with columns recording the number of whales caught per species, the expedition identifier, nationality, land station or floating factory, and start and end dates. The third Excel file serves as a reference and metadata file, providing detailed information on the dataset structure, including explanations of each column (data format, abbreviations, and numeric codes), descriptions of the catch areas, and lists of all expeditions, including the operating companies, years of operation, and locations. This file also contains lookup tables for company registrations, marine regions, expedition areas, and sources of data, enabling users to interpret numeric codes and ensure consistent understanding of the historical whaling records. The shapefile complements the tabular data by providing polygon boundaries for the catch areas, allowing spatial analysis of whaling activity. These polygons delineate the regions where expeditions operated, supporting mapping, aggregation, and cross-referencing of catches with geographic areas. Together, the Excel files and shapefile provide a comprehensive, structured dataset for temporal and spatial analyses of global whaling.