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What type of epuipment is used on whaling journeys

The Harpoon

Harpoons have been an elementary tool in fishing, but especially whaling, for much of recorded history. Traditional harpoons are still used today, but mechanization has resulted in a modern harpoon that is fired from a cannon and often tipped with explosives. While industrial whaling techniques have lowered costs and increased the whale catch, it has also created problems similar to those gripping the fishing industry as a whole: the over-hunting of whales, endangered commercial species an, in some cases, extinction.

Harpoons have been discovered around the world in archaeological sites and are referenced in early historical records as well.

Technological developments in the 19th and 20th centuries greatly increased the efficiency of whaling. The explosive harpoon, invented in 1868, made it much easier to kill whales. The factory ship, introduced in 1925, made it possible to process a large number of whales in a relatively short time. Later, sonar and aircraft observation made it easier to locate whales. The materials obtained from whales were used to make a variety of commercial products, including cosmetics, soap, lubricants, livestock feed, and fertilizer. Due to large-scale whaling operations, many species of whales became endangered.