More whalemen were needed to be relieved from station work so that the Island rebuilding could go ahead ... From Canberra had come the announcement that an extra quota of whales had been allotted. There was only one answer to it all, Nor told Laurel—extra hands from the coast.Laurel felt sorry about the extra whale quota and said so. “It’s not permitted idly,” Nor informed her. “A change in quota is only ever made after long reference with overseas quotas. Whalemen all over the world are no fools. To deplete a supply would be to cut off their livelihood.”“Luke once told me that when the total number of whales is reduced by half, the chase would be too expensive to continue.”“That’s true. That’s why you need fear no wholesale slaughter, Laurel.”But Laurel still felt sorry for whales.“How much more is the quota?” she asked.“One hundred more,” he answered, “we are a comparatively small station. Norfolk Island has one hundred and fifty more, and Camavon in Western Australia has a thousand.
