Douglas Island news., 1919-10-17
PRIBILOF HERDS
 SHOW INCREASE
Seal Herds Under Government Proc Are Getting Back Co
 Former Size

.N"M "N ...'.'
 |tho wisdom of Che law passed u 'l9le by which po'aglc scaling wal .madc ou uunro0ioblo Industry am. .he killing of Ono government herd. on prbuoC Islands was srcaly rc .srictod. Tho bureau has just rc
 cc.vod i,s annual census of iho seal
 hcrd auL Che figures show that h,
 number of animals has practically
 doubled during Che last six years. .2l5.7gS seals or au ages wcrc ou Che islands m l9l2 The number .has Increased to 5l2.26s th.s spring. although number oi surplus bach- o'or seals wcrc killed each year.
 Moro hou 10000 scal skins were sold by Che bureau last May mnd tbIs ycar e2.027 have boon taken on st Paul island and 3.85t on sL George island These skins win bo placed ou salc at st Louis thIs win- tor Last yGr Che skins brought am average of Sf1 cach. and it is deur- ed that a somewhat similar price . win prevail this year,
 Twenty years ago there wcro moro thau 100000 soals on Che prIbnol islands. but pc.ag.c scaling and un- |rcstr.clcd Nung gradually reduced Che herd to Che point oi threatened extinction Male. female and pup scals wore Killed udiarriminatoly and one of Che great factors m ths |rap.d depletion of Che herd was Che seal poachng
 Tho female scal carries her young at Che time she Is sucklng pup The mother seal would swim Co sea Co hunt and hcr death at the hands or nolaeic scalcr meant also Che de- strucaon of two other seal lives . Che ono unborn and Che pup ict ashore. No female scat win suckic any other pup than her own. and hundreds ol these young animals starved to death every summer
 To prevent tbe further des,ruc- . tIou or seal ufc thc United states entered Into treaty witch Great Britain and Japan to prevent iur- thor scaling of any kind. except by Che United states government. which |has authority to handle tho herds Of prblof islands and Go scl the ak.na part of Che profits going Co Japan and part Co Grcat Britain Under |thH treaty any person bringing o seal skin Into any Of Che countries mentioned or wno a found n pos- session of sealing gear is subject Go arrest and imprisonment
 While it s true na. One pr.buof
 Hauds ars United s.atcs territory. Grcat Britain and Japan were ad- mittod C. Che proceed. of Che herds for two reasons because thero was no law under which citizens or either country could have been pre- vented from outrtung their sohoon- . CTS a, British Columbian or Japan osc ports to engage in po'agic scal- in rouu.dc Che throc-mlo limit and because it is believed hat One herds that occupy Prblof islands In
 summer are Che nmc animals that occupy au island og tho coast of South America iu summer and an- other island o0 Che coast of Japan Iu winter.
 Tho scal herds come into thc pr.b- uon from Che sea u Che oariy spring and 1.-Two ou Che islands uu ahou.
 s ptcmbcr ]. when they loayo aga.n There Is utuo doubt that they apmd ho winter u Che warm waters O.
 south America. as few years ago
 many of Che Ncah Bay Indians and
 white soaicrs used to make good .uylne hy taking seals proceeding
 northwafd every aprng
 10 has never been definitely estab. .lsbcd that thc prIblof herds or' Che same animals chat occupy th,
 islands oG thc coasts of south Ann
 erica and Japan. but certain it t . that as Che northern herds worc dc
 plctcd. so also Che other herds de
 creased In number proporHonatcly .Au tGat Ia definitely known is chat . Che sclls start southward from th. . PrIbuof islands in Che autumn am, are not seen again tl they show ul lon Che coast on tho way north agaIr
 next spring 10 Is believed thot th
 main herd on St Paul Is'an'
 makes its winter quarters In souti D America. while Che smaller herd oi ! sl George island -thcso two isiand
 form Che pribilof group makes - winter migration to Che warmer wat . .crs of Che islands near Japan. B officers of tho bureau are hopciu 2 Of building up Che herd Go its formo @ magnificent size. and even lncreas ling it This it is said. can bo don by klung of only tho surplus male.
 or bachelor 1eais
 Up until 1914. when the Europea a war began. soalskIns had Co be sen q Co London to bo dressed. Tho prc cess or pluck'ug Che long hairs cha s hide Che iur was unknown In am - other country Submarines am s raiders made it unsafe Co ship soa -. skins and experts from London wcl -------- = --- ------- ------ L.