Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-04-05

me agreement prompts
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-
t1nction 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 hemspheres, 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
the northern seals roam widely on the high
seas, they always resort for breeding purposes
to certain definite bits of land and it 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,
off the coast of Kamchatka; and the Alaskan
seals, after distributing themselves over the
eastern part of the Pacific Ocean as far south
AS southern California, make annual pill
Er1mage TO Islands In Ber1ng Sea.
OF all the fur seals, the most numerous and
important are those Of Alaska, which came to
the United States with all the other resources
of the territory when Russia coded her juris-
diction. The Alaskan fur seals have for many
years been the subject of protracted national
and international discussion, and during the
years 1910 and 1911 came in for an unusual
amount of attention. In addition to the con-
sideration received during the diplomatic nego-
tiations resulting in the treaty already men
toned. Congress has enacted a new law re-
lating to the seal islands, 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 seals
ever resort is the group IF small, rocky islands
lying in Boring Sea 215 miles north of Una
laska Island the nearest land. These bits Of
bleak land have come to pc popularity known
as the Seal Islands, from their most conspic-
uous feature: but among geographers they
are called the Pribilof Islands, in honor of the
employ of Xamchatkan trading company,
followed the migrating seals and ascertained
for the first time where they resorted.
At the time of the discovery of the Pribilofs
there were no human inhabitants. AS soon
as 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.
numbers about
on the two islands.
When the seal islands came into our CUSTODY
the fur seals thereon constituted the most val
liable aquatic resource that any government
ever possessed. Owing to the immense oouy
of animals present and the difficulty OF count
irg with any degree of accuracy, esumates VI
the size of tile herd at that time necessarily
differ widely, the extremes being two million
ond seven million 1t is safe to assume that
tbe number ufas between two and half and
four million distributed on 20 to 80 rookerles'
Az the close of the season of 1911 the
Alaskan seal herd consists of not more than
100000 individuals of all ages
This appalling dwindlng OF the nerd mas
accasioned much concern and has subjected
az, r,oy,ernment to much unfavorabe criticism,
hecause the government has exercised run anu
eon+ipuous control during all the Intervening
voorS I'M IN the present date. 1t VIII be seem
bowever that the criticism is not Justlneo' LOT
the reason that the decline and declmatlon Oh
tbe herd came through causes operating "hen
the seals were on the high seas ana oeyonu
she protecting care of their foster father
II is furthermore fact that tie governmens
took active steps to secure adequate
for the seals when away from 'ue "a, -,
90 49, ;tu efforts were frustrated chiefly py
80 rasnIts of an unfortunate international
arbitration til, t,1,a5 nv the
the
I4nnSs adonted by man for their destruc-
nus - coo and land. they capable OF with
s s,or great privation and OF undergoing
e~traordinary muscular exertion.
To maintain themselves during winter IN Tue
,temnestous north Pacific without fesofuns y