The sun., 1895-01-09

Peor Prospects This Tear FOR the Isisuds,
bat Bie Hnui on the Seas.


Peor Prospects This Tssr for the Isisud.,
bat = Bie Haul on the Seas.
wAsHINoTor, Jan. s.-with the progress OF
the new year the sealers OF Victoria and San
Francisco viii soon be preparing 10 sally out for
another annual attack on the Prlbylov herd,
when II begins 10 make Its way northward to its
resorts in Behrlng Sea- The season always
opens early, because the hunters can begin
operations In lattudos rs far south as the SOUTH
ern part OF California, proceeding northward
with the herd along tho coast But this year IL
may possibly be found 10 open earlier than
ever, because IL ls now known that pelag!c seal
ing must stop on April 80 for a period Of three
months. When the fleet went out last year its
vessels, or most OF them, had not been notified
Of tho act of Parliament carrying into effect
this rule; but the natural impulse now would
be to make tie most Of the early catch.
This fact suggests the value of a prompt reply
to the House resolution offered by Mr.. Dingley
asking Secretary Carlisle whether tho Paris
rules "resulted during the last season in saving
the fur-seal herds from that destruction which
those articles were intended to prevent" what
hc thinks will be the result Of these rules In the
future, what the condi ton is OF the Prlbilov
herds what revenue was derived from them last
year. and what was the expenditure during the
Dingley's resolution also asked Information as
to the number and sex Of the seals killed last
year by pelaGc sealers.
Mr.. II. w. Elliott Of Cleveland, a well-known
expert, in his letter to Mr.. Dingley, gave the
figures Of the catch of the Canadian fleet from
the Alaskan or Pribylov herd. They were taken
from tho record of the London salesrooms and
can be accepted as official They showed that
In 1902 fleet Of 85 schooners secured 90, ,0S5
skins; the next year 60 schooners secured co.
1l3 skins, while last year the catch OF SO
schooners was 3s,044 skins. To these figures
must be added those of the American fleet of
five or six vessels that clear and enter at San
Francisco Their catch In 1902 was 4, 800 skins;
the next year, 1000; last year, 9,4lO. The
aggregate result is 24,5s5 skins for 1892, and
36,1l3 for 1903, against AZ ,483 for last year. In
other words the protection and preservation
aimed at under the Paris rules resulted in nearly
double the catch by pelago scaling that had
been secured two years before when the rules in
operation were the temporary regulations Of the
TnOdus pfCendi
Those rules of the modus, however, prohibited
sealing ss at any time With within BehIing Sea east of
hunting there and elsewhere from the ist nitV of
August around until the 1st Of May outside Of
circle @ of go miles from the Pribyloy group.
Mr.. Elliott even THINKS that the prohibition OF
firearms In pelagic sealing was In one respect an
aid to the hunters, because there was no noise to
grounds beyond the sixty mile circle. He thinks
that had the Canadian fleet OF last yeae manned
BY 81 whites and BIB Indians; kept up fusil-
lade from their shotguns aud rifles the animals
that are found as Tar out as 80 and even 120
miles west and southwest Of the islands would
whereas they were picked up silently. one by
one, with the spear, as long as the supply lasted
still, in view of the evidence as to the wastefu-
ness OF capture by firearms, many Of the anil
mails being wounded at a consid cradle distance
and sinking before they could be reached, the
hardly seems worth while to find fault with this
part of the Paris regulations.
But there is another reflection on this point
which Is noteworthy. Last year only portion
OF the feet was fitted out with skilled native
spearmen. whereas in the season soon to open
well provided with Aleutian, Kodiak, and other
wielders of the spear. and white hunters may
Is that this year, unless further restrictions are
imposed, the pelaRic catch will far exceed that
twill be noted that one point in Mr. Dingley's
seals captured by pelagc hunters. This is an
laws no female seal can be killed by the iessees
of the Pribylov Islands; but obviously there is
M so a9d be n SsS
able seals on the Pribyloy Islands as
observed that about 90, 900 Of the 100. 600 males
OF ths killa6le ags were really yearlings and Of
was fsed at 10000 skins for the islands. % and % in
1891 1t became about 1000, while for the next
two years II was $500 each. But in spite OF
this refraining for several years from what
would once have been a. most moderate limit,
since formerly 100000 were taken. last year,
when the lessees were authorized to obtain 90
600, they actually secured only 10O30 fit for the
market; and Mr.. Elliott has predicted that this
year they cannot possibly get even half of that
number.
Thus the question Is ciphered down to the
prospect OF an enormous increase this year In
of the catch on the land, the latter alone bring
ing revenue to our Government. and the former
being far more ruinous to seal life. AS Mr..
Elliott has put the case, we have 10000 female
seals on the islands. representing leash value of
at least 81. .00O. 900; and yet 1t is doomed to be
attack cd and steadily diminished every year by
the pelagic sealers, who may this season, for ex-
ample. take away 81 ,O00, 900 worth of IL. while
our own Government. faithful to its rules will
not touch dollars worth of this part OF the
herd. The only question Is as to the result of
this slaughter Of nursing mother seals by pelagic
hunters beyond the sixty y-mi @ zone. II remains
also to be seen whether anything can be done to
check II and to add degree Of protection to the
animals which the Paris rules. at present, do
not seem to furnish.