The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-11-25
SLAUGHTER OF SEALS
The Great Loss to Commerce by
Indisoriminate Killing. ,.a
THE STARVING OF THE SEAL PUPS.

More Than Twenty seven Thousand Lost
Through the Killing OF Their Mothers.
The Money Loss WIN Reach Hundreds
of Thousands OF Dollars.
reaches hero that the revenue cutter Bear
tho last government vessel to leave Behr-
ing sea, has Just brought down some start
ling evidence Of tho effect OF pelaglc seal
ing upon tho Alaskan seal herd which fro
quents the Pribylof or seal Islands.
In accordance with tho findings Of the
Paris arbitration schooners are now per-
mitted to hunt seals In Bchring sea, with
spears, in zone sixty miles around the
various islands, from the 1st of August.
This gives thom about i've weeks Of good
sealing. 1t was thought that conflning
fishers to spears, and reducing the season
to practically i've or six weeks, would stop
the slaughter in Behring sea, and allow
the herd to recuperatc. This year not less
than sixty schooners began hunting In
Behring sen Aug. 1, and captured nearly
40,0O0 pelts, about 50 per cont. OF which
were from females. This does not show
the full extent Of the injury done. Tho
seal pups are dependent ON their mothers
milk for the first four or five months of
their existence, and without it must suffer
starvation.
Acting under instructions of their re-
spective superiors both resident treasury
officers and agents Of the North American
Commercial company made careful
count Of the doad pups found at the close
OF the season, VIXEN the sealing schooners
had left the sea. The census was just
completed when the Boar left, and reached
$1,000. and does not include those in the
last stages Of starvation. The same con.
ditions prevailed last year, but the count
was made with less exactness, on account
OF snow. 1t is said that the actual pecun.
larry loss to the Unitod States and the com.
mercial world by this needless waste Of
animal life would reach hundreds OF thou
sands of dollars.
The United States, which has never al
lowed the molestation Of breeding grounds
or killing Of females on land, mado an eff
fort last year to stay the slaughter going
on by limiting the land killing to 5000
Immature males.
1t is questionable II in the face OF exist
ing conditions and the reports of treasury
officials further restraint will be exercised,
especially as q request made last January
by the United States to Great Britain for
greater protection to the seals has been
practically ignored.
+ 1twas the attempt made by the United
States to stop tho barbarity practiced on
tho seas by selling the schooners that SUBJ
jected the government to claims for dam
ages on the part Of Canada. These claims,
which were rejected last year by congress,
arc again receiving attention from the
state department. and tho articles of
convention providing for commission to
sit at Victoria are being considered.
1t is believed in congressional circles
that unless a treaty, which must be ratified
by a two thirds vote OF the senate, confines
the assessment of damages strictly to ves-
sells passed upon by the Paris tribunal,
and provides penalty for perjury on the
part of all witnesses called by either gov
ernment, 1t will suffer the same fate as
did Secretary Gresham's proposition to pay
to Canada si25, 900 out Of hand, despite the
fact that number Of tho schoonors be-
longed to American subjects and nearly
three-fourths Of the claims are for prospco-
tive catches Of seals.