Blue Whale Unit Explained

A blue whale unit (BWU) was a unit of measurement used in the regulation of whaling. It was originally used by a cartel of whaling companies in the Antarctic Ocean in the 1930s. It was later used by the International Whaling Commission through the 1960s to measure nations respective whale quotas.^[1] One blue whale unit can be expressed in terms of: one blue whale, two fin whales, two and a half humpback whale, or six sei whales. The ratios are roughly based on the relative amounts of oil that each species yields.^[2]

Notes and References

1. Book: Burnett, D. Graham. The Sounding of the Whale: Science and Cetaceans in the Twentieth Century. 2012. University of Chicago Press. 978-0226081304. registration.
2. Web site: Gulland. J.A.. Fisheries Management and the Limitations of Fishing. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. 24 June 2012.