Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-08-17
ACTIVITY OF THE SEALERS.

ACTIVITY OF THE SEALERS.
While the Arbitrators Wern Talking
They Were Strengthening.
While the Behring sea arbitrators
have been hearing arguments at Paris
this year, vessels from Victoria. San
Francisco, and other ports on the
Pacific have been doing their best to
reduce the value of the matter in CON
troyersy.
Sucn, too, have been their success
that the present season bids fair TO
/ break the record in the catch of seals
outside the Behring sea. Capt Hooper
| OF the revenue cutter Rush found that
! UP to June IA twenty-five British seal
ers had taken 1926 skins, and seven
American SealerS had taken 1894
That was a total of 20,62O skins for
only thirty-two vessels. The reckoning
was undoubtedly accurate since it
was obtained while boarding the YES
sells and giving them the customary
warning. Yet this count cannot repre-
sent more than half or a third of the
vessels engaged in the traffic this sea
son. The date Of the report also
shows that there was still time left for
profitable sealing outside the Behring
sea.
An unusual number of the animals
must have been secured in the north
PacifiS this year. If we reckon up the
large number that are shot, but not
captured in pelagic sealing, sinking
before the boats can reach them, we
shall find that a great onslaught has
been made upon the Pribylov herd;
even outside the disputed water of
Behring sea.
The indications now are that the pro-
hibtions of the modus yivendi will be
observed this year more strictly than
ever before. There is good reason to
believe that the British sealers are
under orders from their owners not to
enter the American side of the sea,
and one proof of this fact is that no
steamer was to go north from Victoria
this summer to collect and take back
the cargoes. The custom of previous
years was to have such a steamer
meet the Sealers at their rendezvous
It Sand Point, and take to Victoria
the skins that had been captured dur
ing the spring season, thus leaving
the vessels free to go on with their
work, This year the British vessels
are to take back their catches, which
is an indica ton that the hunting sea
son for them ends with the passage of
t1n Df I'll,
toward their home in the Pribylov
group. Still another indication is that
the only two vessels thus far reported
as seized were American
But While strict observance of
the modus by the British sealers that
compromise by far the greatest part of
the fleet. will reduce the number of
seals slaughtered, yet, as just has been
seen, the catch outside Of Behring sea
has been unusually large. To it must
be added the catch in Russian and
japanese waters, to which the sealing
SchOOnerS have devoted much of their
attention this year on account of the
existing prohibitions on the eastern
side Of Behring sea. Commander Ncol
Ludlow of the MOhican, writing on
June 81, said that he and his assistants
had learned from traders that nearly
$4,000 skins had, previously to that
date, been secured by the hundred and
mere crafts engaged in the business. |
Even supposing that a majority were
taken from Russian and Japanese wa
tiers, or mostly from what is known
as the Commander island herd, it
would still leave vast inr0ad to be
placed to the account of the PribyloY
herd.
The plain conclusion from these fig
ures and facts, after allowances for
incorrect estimates were exact records !
have not been obtained, is that the in
ternatiOnal regulations for seal hunt
ing in the future ought to place re-
StrictiOns upon pelagic sealing in the
north Pacific as well as in Behring sea.
No attention Of the arbitrator at Paris
having already been called to this
necessity, the additional experience Of
the present year should emphasize it.
If for any reason they should not fully
provide for this important feature of
task of seal preservation the regula-
tons which England, Russia, and the
United States will presumably adopt
should make up for the lack. Other
wise, as is clear from this years opera
lions, the regions Immediately around
the seal roOkeries might be thoroughly
protected by suitable regulations, and /
yet the animals would be subjected to
fatal onslaughts all the way northward
during their annual returns, SO as
still to subject them to the peril Of
great diminution, if not Of eXtermina- /
ton.
THE CHINESE ARMY.