The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-06-07
PELAGIC SEALING.
Number of Fur Bearing Seals Taken
in Canadian Waters Last
Year.

in Canadian Waters Last
Year.
The Canadian seal fishery in the Pa
cifc ocean for the season of 1899, ac-
published, was so successful as to war
rant the authorities at Ottawa in pro-
testing against the adoption of strict
er precautions in connection with the
seals of Behring sea. The BehriGg
sea fleet of 1899 consisted of 26 vessels
of 1894 tons register, with crews of
213 white men and 5S7 Indians, and
the total catch was 4,454 skins, be-
sides an Indian catch of S92 on the
coast. This total of 35,346 skins is
larger than that of 1897 and 1898. Of
the &c vessels, 20 operated on the
British-Columbian and Alaskan coasts,
while these same 20, and others, oper-
ated in Behring sea, and only one OPP
Grated on the Asiatic side. The coast
catch was 10,471 skins, the Behring
sea catch 23,284, and the Asiatic catch
600, says the New York Sun.
From 1892 to 1896 there was an av-
erage of more than 60 vessels annual
ly engaged in the sealing business. In
1896, GA vessels secured 1924 skins,
whereas in 1891 81 vessels secured So
437. In 1897 the feet dropped to II
vessels, securing 29,342 seals. The sta
tistics show that in the whole his
tory of Canadian pelagic sealing, the
60, hoe
passed only twice, namely in 1890 and
1894. In 1890 the average catch was
1857 skins to a vessel, in 1894 it was
1,533 and in 1899 it was 1925. The
phenomenal catch of 1894 was princi-
pally taken on the Asiatic side. Now
adays the sealers have almost ceased
exploiting the Asiatic waters and are
combining themselves to the North
American waters of the North Pacific.
Many of the vessels cleared from
Victoria earlier than usual in 1899 and
proceeded southwark to the Cali
fornian coast. as good success was
met with there during the previous
year. Although the spring catch
was fairly good one, it would I'M
doubtedly have been much better but
for the unpropitious weather.
The sealers are reported to have
carefully observed their obligations
under the regulations provided by the
Paris award, and the year was
marked by the entire absence of any
seizures or undue interference by pa
trolling vessels.
All the reports coming from Can
adam sources are to the effect that
the seals are undiminished in num-
bers. The masters of the sealing YES
sells say that in the neighborhood OF
the Fairweather grounds, where the
seals congregate prior to entering
Behring sea, through the Aleutian
passes, they are seemingly as numer-
GUS as in former years, and it is said
that, generally speaking, they are
not found at sea less often than in
the old times, though they are GER
tainly growing more timid and mi
gratory.
difference is made to the branding
by the United States authorities of
seals, the expeuient having been re-
garded by some people as having an
injurious effect upon the herd. From
the sealers' standpoint, the effect can
not be very great, unless the branded
seals die, for out of last years total
take of 1886 skins. only Is branded
ones We're found. This seems to show
that the branding of seals forms no
factor in pelagic sealing.
Quite a change of position has been
noted of late in the Behring sea seals
by Canadian hunters. On the coast
they have materially extended the
area of their resort in .southerly di-
rection, while in Behring sea there is
distinct trend north, bringing them
principally to the northeast of the
Pribyloff islands. Some believe this
to be due to the disturbance of the
seals upon the islands, and the con-
sequent incentive to seek other breed
ing grounds. By others it is believed
that the changed distribution of the
seals is rather to be attributed to the
movement of the fishes upon which
they feed.