The Elbert County tribune., 1912-04-05

S The agreement prohibits
absolutely pelagic sealing or
the killing of fur seals while in the water, and
places the legitimate killing of surplus male
Seals on land under the direct control OF the
governments interested.
This convention insures the rescue of the
depleted fur-seal herds from commercial ex-
tinction; prohibits the citizens or subjects of
the contracting powers from engaging In a
wasteful cruel occupation and removes a
long-standng disturbance of international good
will
Fur seals inhabit certain parts of both the
northern and southern hemispheres but the
most important herds live in the north Pacific,
represent three distinct but closely related spe-
cies, and known the Alaskan, Russian
and Japanese fur seals. respectively. Although
tho northern seals roam widely on the high
seas, they always resort for breeding purposes
to certain definite bits of land and 1t is this
habit which gives particular nations property
rights in them and has created several inter
national complications
The Japanese seals visit no land except Rob
ben Island and certain islands of the Kurile
chain; the Russian seals never go to other
shores than those of the Commander Islands
of the coast of Kamchatka; and the Alaskan
SEALS after distributing themselves over the
eastern part of the Pacific Ocean as far south
southern California, make an annual Dill
grimage TO islands in Bering Sea.
OF all the fur seals, the most numerous and
important those of Alaska which came to
the United States with all the other resources
of the territory when Russia ceded her turis-
dfction. The Alaskan fur seals have for MANY
years been the subject of protracted national
and international discussion and during tha
years 1910 and 1911 came In for an unusual
amount of attention. In addition to the con-
sfderation received during the diplomatic nepo
t1ations resulting in the treaty already men
uoned Congress has enacted new law re-
lat1ng to the seal Islands, a new dispensation
has come in the administration of the islands
and the government as represented by the
Bureau of Fisheries has for the first time en-
gagged In the business of taking and market
ing seal skins
The new dispensation" includes permanent
scientific observation and control of the herd
discretionary authority to suspend all killing
and discretionary power to lease the sealing
privileges or to exploit them a government
MONOPOLY.
The only land to which the Alaskan fur seal.
ever resort is the group of small rocky islands
lying in Bering Sea 215 miles north of Una
1aska Island. the nearest land These bits of
bleak land have come to be popularly known
as the Seal Islands, from their most conspic-
uous feature; but among geographers they
are called the Pribilof Islands, in honor of the
Russian navigator who, In 1885, while in the
employ Of Kamchatkan trading company,
followed the migrating seals and ascertained
for the first time where they resorted.
At the time of the discovery of the Pribilofs
the Russians began to take sea skins they
transferred thereto from the Aleutian Islands
a number of natives to do the manual labor,
and from time to time established small colo
nies at various convenient points
The present population numbers about 300
the two islands.
When the seal islands came into our custody
the fur seals thereon constituted the most val
uable aquatic resource that any government
ever possessed. Owing to the immense body
of animals present and the difficulty of count
ing with any degree of accuracy, estimates of
the size Of the herd at that time necessarily
differ widely. the extremes being two million
and seven million. 1t is safe to assume that
the number between two and half and
four million, distributed 20 to 80 rookeries.
At the close OF the season of 1911 the
Alaskan seal herd consists of not more than
100000 individuals of all ages.
This appalling dwindling of the herd has
occasioned much and has subjected
the government to much unfavorable criticism.
because the government has exercised full and
continuous control during all the Intervening
years up to the present date 1t will be seen.
however, that the criticism Is not justified, for
the reason that the decline and decimation OF
the herd came through operating when
the seals the high seas and beyond
the protecting care of their foster father.
1t is furthermore fact that the government
took active steps to secure adequate protection
for the seals when away from the Pribilofs.
and that its efforts were frustrated chiefly by
arbitration
Although the seals easily killed by tho
methods adopted by for their destruc-
ton on and land. they are capable OF with
standing great privation and Of undergoing
extraordinary musculsr exertion-
To maintain themselves during winter in tho
tempestous north Pacific without resorting to