The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1906-12-04
PROTECTION OF SEALS.

lAV1Ltl1UlN vi OkALJs
History of This Problem and Present
Status.
The destruction Of the Pribilof is
land fur seals by pelagic sealing still
continues. The herd which, according
to the surveys made in 1874 by direc-
ton Of the congress, numbered 4.70O,-
GOO and which, according to the sur
vey Of both American and Canadian
commissioners in 1891, amounted to
100000 has now been reduced to
about 100000. This result has been
brought about by Canadian and some
seals while in the water during their
annual pilgrimage to and from the
south or in search Of food. AS a rule.
the female seal when killed is preg-
nant and also has an unweaned pup on
land, so that for each skin taken by
pelagic sealing, as a rule, three lives
are destroyed-the mother, the unborn
offspring and the nursing pup. which is
left to starve to death. No damage
whatever is done to the herd by the
carefully regulated killing on land.
The custom Of pelagic sealing is solely
responsible for all Of the present evil
and is alike indefensible from the eco
nomic standpoint and from the stand
point Of humanity.
In 1896 over 10000 young seals were
found dead from starvation on the
Pr'bilof islands. In 1897 it was esti-
mated that since pelagic sealing began
upward Of 100000 adult female seals
had been killed at sea and over 100000
young seals had died Of starvation as
the result The revolving barbarity Of
such a practice, as well as the waste
full destruction which it involves,
needs no demonstration and is it's own
condemnation. The Bering sea tribu-
nal, which sat in Paris in 1893 and
which decided against the claims Of
the United States to exclusive juris-
diction in the waters Of Bering sea
| and to property right in the fur seals
when outside Of the three mile limit,
determined also upon certain regula-
lions which the tribunal considered
sufficient for the proper protection and
| preservation of the. fur seal in or
! habitually resorting to the Boring sea-.
The tribunal by it's regulations estab-
lished close season. from the LIST Of
May to the 31st Of July. and excluded
all killing in the waters within sixty
miles around the Pribilof islands.
They also provided that the regula-
tons which they had determined upon,
with view to the protection and pres
ervation of the seals. should be SUBJ
mitted every five years to new exami-
nation. so as to enable both interested
governments to consider whether in
the light of past experience there was
occasion for any modification thereof.
The regulations have proved plainly
! inadequate to accomplish the object Of
/ protection and preservation of the fur
seals, and for long time this govern
ment has been trying in vain to secure
from Great Britain such revision and
modification Of the regulations as were
contemplated and provided for by the
award Of the tribunal of Paris.
| The process of destruction has been
accelerated during recent years by the
appearance of number of Japanese
vessels engaged in pelagic sealing AS
these vessels have not been bound
even by the inadequate limitations pre-
scribed by the tribunal Of Paris, they
have paid no attention either to the
close season or to the sixty mile limit
I, imposed upon Canadians and have
prosecuted their work up to the very
islands themselves. On July 16 and II
the crews from several Japanese YES
sells made raids upon the island Of st.
Paul. and before they were beaten off
! by the very meager and insuf6ciently
! armed guard they succeeded in killing
several hundred seals and carrying off
the skins of most Of them, Nearly all
the seals killed were females, and the
work was done with frightful barbar-
ity. Many Of the seals appear to have
| been skinned alive, and many were
found half skinned and still alive. The
raids were repealed only BY the use Of
! firearms, and five Of the raiders were
i killed, two were wounded and twelve
captured, Including the two wounded
Those captured have since been tried
and sentenced to imprisonment, An
], attack Of this kind had been. wholly
unlocked for, but such provision Of