Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-24
TO SAVE THE SEALS
Question to Be Taken Up by
Secretary Root.
TO STOP PELAGlc HUNTING
Believed That Canada Will Cease OPP
position.
JAPAN THEN WOULD FOLLOW
In the Event Of Such an Agreement
the Herd, It is Believed, Would
Rapidly Increase.
JAPAN THEN WOULD FOLLOW

One of the important questions which
Secretary Root will take up for considera-
ton soon after his return from South Amer
lea relates to the pending negotiations
for the stopping Of pelagic sealing. For
the first time since the negotiations to that
end were instituted several years ago, there
Is a prospect now of an end being put to
what amounts practically to wanton de-
struction of seal life. A realization has
been reached by the nations and individ-
uals interested in the seal herd that IL
pelagic sealing Is not stopped the herd will
be exterminated in a brief time
Prior to his departure for South Amer
lea Secretary Root had the question up for
consideration with the diplomatic officials
of Great Britain and Canada.
Mission Of Mr.. Sims.
In order to gain certain direct and posi-
tive information concerning the seal rock
cries on the Pribiloff Islands and the opera
lions of the North American Commercial
Company, which has the exclusive privilege
of taking seals on the islands for their
skins, Edwin Sims, then solicitor of the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor, was sent
to the Pribiloff Islands to make an inves-
tigation. His report, though it will be
made to the Department of Commerce and
Labor, under the jurisdiction of which the
Prfbiloffs are, is really intended for Secre-
tary Root The nature of his report is
not declared, although ne has been In the
United States for several weeks.
The seal herd. it is known. now num-
bers about 10000, it having been reduced
to that number from 100000 only COM
paratively few years ago. The diminu-
ton in the herd is due largely to pelagic
sealing-that is. the shooting of the seals
in the open ocean they travel north
ward to the Pribilofs in the spring and
c. rtf1 ,yry1 vr1 fro,, h. S-1a do no
tumn. Pelagic sealers kill seals indis-
criminately, the females and well as the
males. 1t is said that the killing of fe-
male practically destroys three lives
born pup and that of the pup in the
rookeries. which is unable to care for it.
self. Pelagic sealing becomes wanton. be-
cause quite so per cent of the seals shot
in the open ocean sink and never are re
covered.
Small Catch Authorized.
The North American Commercial COM
pany is permitted by the United States
to take $4,000 seals each year on the
Pribilof Islands under certain ironclad
restrictions. The seals killed must oe
taken on land. they must be males be-
tween one and three years old, and no
cows or females of any age or bulls over
three years of age can be killed. These
restrictions have rendered 1t impossible
| loI lue ANoI III <aHleiICdu NOIliucTCldl oOu-
pany to take the maximum quota of seals
for several years.. s....-
The negotiations instituted by the State
Department look to the stopping absolutely
of pelagic sealing. Canada has hesitated
to enter into such an agreement, because
Canadians were the owners of large fleet
of pelagic sealing vessels. This fleet num-
bered in 1898 fiftyfour vessels. but the
business fell off to such an extent on &C
count of the rapid diminution of the herd
that this year only about twelve vessels
engaged in the work. Last spring the YES
sells took about 1900 seals, which is not
regarded as a profitable catch.
Canada May Yield.
State Department officials believe that an
agreement shortly will be reached by which
Canada will retire from the pelagic sealing
business. If such an arrangement be eff
fected, Japan also probably will agree to
cease pelagic sealing. 1t Is hoped by the
officials here that, through diplomatic chan
the right of the United States to protect
the fur-bearing seal, wherever it may be
found, will be recognized. In other words
the idea is to make the fur-bearing SEAL
to all intents, an American citizen, entitled
to the protection Of this country on land
or at sea. 1t is believed here that if such
an agreement is reached the seal herd will
increase almost as rapidly it has de-
creased during the past few years, and that
ultimately it will regain it's former i'm
portance and be a source Of annual profit
to the United States.