Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-07-07
WILL PROTECT THE SEAL
Fur Bearing D%enizen Of North to-
Be Made Technical Citpzeu-
HAS BEEN SOURCE or PROFIT
But Poachers Are Rapidly Decimat-
ing the Herd The Mission of
Commissioner Bowers.

Washington. DC. Jnlv a.-An efrors
Is 10 be made to make the seal an
American citizen. This ii not ia be-
done absolutely. but techr icaliy. In
the present circumstances, the seal
has little protection. II Ia realized
by the United States governments
that the seal must be protected in d
practical way. If q large interest OF
the governments is to be retained.
Years ago, with Alaska, the United
States acquired two islands in the
North Pacific ocean known as the
Pribilof islands, the islands takin1
their name from their discoverer.
They are the breeding place Of the
Pacific herd of fur bearing seals. The
United States paid Russia So, SOC. 000
for the islands, taking over with them
the seal herd. winch, at that time.
was estlm a,ed variously at FROM
1 1000, 600 to 1000, 900. This govern
mfnt permits the North American
Commercial Go. to take seals On the
Pribilof islands under certain restric-
tions. For this privilege, the COM
psny PAYS the United States govern
ment handsomely. Indeed. the re-
ceipts OF the government of the Prih-
ilof islands nave aggregated about
80. 600, 600. Tho expense Of inspection
and guarding the seal herd has
amounted TO about $500. 900 SO that the
government has received an amount
81, n00. 900 greater than thu islands
originally cost It,.
The North American Commercial
Go. is permitted to kill seals only ON
the islands and the limit II tho skins
taken each year now is IS, 900. 1t has
been demonstrated by experts thas the
seals killed on the islands do not
diminish seriously the number In the
herd; ppt Notwithstanding thaa ue.
m~onstfatlon, the seal herd. from year
to year, has grown smaller until nuvV
il hardly exceeds 200. 900. the diminu-
tion in the herd is due TO the dsprsda-
tions on the herd BY men who inter-
cept the herd in the open ocean as ig
is making is semi-annual m'grations
and kill the seals right and left. II
is certain that more than 30 per cent.
Of the seals thus killed sink and are
no recovered by the sealers Ths
pelagic s~eaiers, too, kill the females as
we'll as the males and, for every
female killed In such circumstances.
il has been shown that three seals
lives are desiroyed-the female. the
pup on the island unable 60 cafg
for itself, and the unborn seal carried
by the female. In time. it Is certain
that pelagic sealing will result i'm the
extermination of the seal herd.
II is PROPOSED by this
10 place the seal directly under tho
protection OF the United States. This
Will enable the United States to afford
the seal protection in the open ocean
and permit this government to put IN
end, By force if necessary. to pelaeic
sealing. This ID Imperative n tha,
seal herd is not % be destroyed abso-
lntely.
To prepare finally the case Of this
government, Mr.. Edwin Sims, solicit
tor Of The department Of commerce
and labor, will visit the Pnbilof
islands this ummer to gather and
compile information concerning he
sesi herd. He will be absent until
about September /, when he will
return to Washington to make lis re-
port.
United States Fish Commissioners
Bowers. who is now on his way BE-
Alaska. has supervision over the sal
mon industry Of Alaska. and will visit
that territory in connection with the
fisheries.