The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-06-28
TO ExrERMlMAre SEA LIONS.


The California Food comm sslon Is
contemplating a movement. IL the con-
sent the powers that be can be obtain
ed, which will go down i'm che history
OF sport as one s->the grandest drives
American hunters have ever seen. IL Is
nothing less than an attempt 60 de-
troy. by any means Whatsoever. but
principally with the rife. some ninety
nine out OF every 100 OF the thousands
of sea lions that swarm about the Call
fornia coasts. Fishermen have been
complaining for years OF the immense
quantities of fish destroyed by these
animals. Despite poetic fancy and the
charm they have ever had for the tray-
eler the inhabitants of Seal Rocks
must go.
The question OF just how much a
healthy sea lion will eat has been before
the California Fish comm ssion for
many years. Some time ago two of
average size were kept at Woodward
Gardens. and on observation IL was
learned that they consumed about fifty
pounds per day each. An eminent au-
thoiity had calculated that there are
at least $4,000 Of them I'm and about the
Golden Gate: taking az low an esti-
mate as 10000, it can be seen that they
would make away With 100000 pounds
OF fish daily. But this is not the eX-
tent OF their evil
The habits OF the animals is 10 keep
on catching fish when he gets about
full, take a bite out OF each one ami
throw the rest away. Each one easily
gorges himself and then entertains him
self with catching more taking bite
out OF the back or belly and throw
ing the rest of the fish away only
now and then can one be seen. but
deputy commissioner states that a
few months ago he watched q sea lion
i'm the Sacramento River playing with
a salmon like cat with mouse. He
was evidently not hungry. He would
stick his head above water, toss the fish
high i'm the air 10 one side, dive AMI
catch the fish i'm his mouth when IL
came down. The last time the fish
came down endwise and the lion just
held his mouth open and let IL shoot
down his throat.
Wholesale slaughter would long since
have been the order OF many cont.n-
uous days had il not been that the sea
lion near San Francisco is protected
by law. Since 1866 there has been a
State law which prohibits mofesting
these animals within a mile OF the
beach about the Cliff House. or within
one mile of the shore for a distance
OF ten miles along the Santa Cruz
coast. 1t happens that outside of
these limits the rookeries including
the main population, are on govern
ment lighthouse or other reservations,
ana here treasury department reg
ulation fof'bids hunting.
"A petition indorsed by Senator Per-
kins has been sent 20 Senator Gage
asking permission TO destroy so many
OF the pests as the Food Commissioner
shall deem expedient. IL an answer is
received in time the work will COM
| nTpuce- next a44eH+A-- -As-stated above
the exact method 10 be pursued has
not been determined but that Is a
| mere detail. Deputies and some hired
| Iifiemen may be sent out to do the
work, and, as is most likely. the work
| may be done under some sort of a
| contract arrangement with skilled
men.
III the sea hon was worth hunting
I. there would be no call for official ex-
| termination. He was worth hunting
some years ago. The white man began
| IL when he first got here. The prizes
| were the coarse hides and the fat for
| oil for domestic markets and the whis-
kers and some small parts OF the car
| cass for the Chinese market. They
were slain by the thousands up to ten
| or fifteen years ago all along the
| coast, from Lower California north.
| Then the market for the hides and oil
passed away and the whiskers. etc.
| for the Chinese market would not pay
| for the trouble and expense OF killing
| them. This and the legal restrictions
have given the sea lion a chance.