Dundee's whale fishing industry
Scotland's 19th-century east coastal towns and cities were heavily involved in the fishing industry, mainly in herring fishing.
However, the Dundee shipping list from 1829-1830 shows that some vessels specifically went out for whale fishing.
Over the years, Dundee was home to whale fishing companies like:
- The Tay Whale-Fishing Company
- The Dundee and Union Whale-Fishing Company
- The Dorothy Whale-Fishing Company
- The Dundee Seal and Whale Fishing Company
- The Friendship Whale-Fishing Company
- The New Whale-Fishing Company.
In 1829-1830, the New Whale-Fishing Company advertised that during the previous season it had caught 197 whales which produced 1872 tons of oil, 112 tons of bone and created an income with a total value of £56,000.
