The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-08
THE SEALS ARE DOOMED.


A letter just received from Gnalaska
contains information to the effect that
seals are being destroyed very fast by
vessels outside the sixty-miie zone and
that there is about as much reason TO fear
determination now as there was before
the question was taken up by an inter-
national tribunal.
IL will be remembered that the Paris
conference decreed that there should be
no pelagic sealing within sixty miles of
the pribyloff islands. prohibition which
at the time was thought TO be sufficient
to guarantee the preservation of seal life.
Since sealing operations have been re-
sumed under the new regulations, 1T has
been demonstrated that the sixty-mile
zone is too restricted and that there Is
about as much butchery going on as
ever. That this is so Is evidenced BY the
unfavoranle reports recently received
from the sealing region.
Our government has already opened ne
gotiations with the British government
with view of having the sixty-inile zone
extended TO eighty or ninety miles. 1t viii
be maintained that the Paris tribunal
recognized the necessity of restraining
the work OF poachers and that the pres
ent destruction OF seals shows that the
work of the arbitrators has not been sue
cessful through an error i'm making the
prohibitory area too small.
Another regulation agreed 10 In the
conference was that the use of firearms
In fur seal catching should not be al
lowed Our government was induced to
consent that such weapons might be car
ried on board sealers provided they were
placed under seal, and the result, OF
course. is Just what might have been ex-
pected. The regulation is practically
dead letter and the poachers, after they
get out to sea. snap their fingers at the
nations of the world and make use of
firearms and explosives with impunity.
In consequence. our government. in ad-
dition 20 asking for an extension of the
prohibitory limits. suggests also that the
use of firearms be interdicted absolutely,
as II would originally have been had not
our delegates made an unfortunate con-
cession.
That the United States will succeed in
getting any changes or notifications In
the agreement is extremely improbable.
The British arbitrator at Paris were the
least reasonable OF all, so far as the in
terests of this country were concerned.
and. had they had their own way abso-
luteiy. would in all probability never have
agreed TO the arrangement which was
finally entered into by the powers repre-
scented. The Englshmen themselves take
but little interest In the controversy. 1t
is a Canadian question. and the present
ministry will probably act as seems for
the best interests OF the Dominion.
The representative of Canada before the
court of arbitration vigorously opposed
the sixty-mle limit provision. and it is
only reasonable TO expect a still greater
opposition TO an eighty or ninety-mile
limit. The Canadians want free and I'M
restricted liberty 10 catch seals anywhere
and i'm any way they see fit. They are
doing a thriving business under the ex-
listing regulations and are anxious to re-
tain them whether the determination of
fur seals is involved or not. The Dominion
authorities will probably urge the Brit
ism government 10 let matters remain as
they are. so that tho advantages which
the Canadian poachers now enjoy will
not bee interfered with or in any way re-
duced.
So long. therefore. as Canada has a
voice in the matter there is little hkeli-
hood OF any concessions being made such
as We may ask IN the interest OF seal pro-
lection. This is 10 he profoundly re-
GREETED. as IL Indicates that the result of
arbitration in Paris has. really proved a
failure and that the seal, after all. is
bound TO so.