The Pensacola journal., 1922-12-04
HOPE TO SAVE
GREAT ANIMALS
OF THE Deep
Orgy Of Destruction
Threatens Extinction
Of Many Sea
Creatures

| SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. Fifty years
ago 'lime-juicer." as the big square
rigged sailing vessel of that time was
called. would have to shorten sail and
steer careful course along the South
Pacific coast at certain seasons II 1t
wanted to avoid destructive collisions
with the California grayback whale. And
if the skipper trained his glass along the
coast line, he probably would see every
| exposed rock or seaward shoaI black
with elephant and fur seals. Closer in
he would note great tortoises and sea
turtles, while above would wheel the
Hermann gull.
Such an orgy of destruction has been
loOsed on these sea creatures, some Of
them termed by scientists to be 'the big
gest animals in the world" in the last
half century, that there is a campaign
on today to have the state department
negotiate treaties with all countries bor-
dering on the Pacific to prevent their
absolute determination.
One of the great mammals, Steller's sea
cow, already has Joined the Great AUX
the Dodo and other storied creatures of
dead age. In 1741, when the exploring
ship OF Captain Vitus Bering was
wrecked on the island that bears his
name, the great, sluggish sea cows were
found floundering about by DR.. George
William Steller, doctor Of the expedition.
Large herds later were seen feeding on
the kelp and seaweed around the nearby
Commander islands, and 1t soon was
found that their meat made an excellent
human food.
When the news of the discovery Of
Bering Island was made known to the
world several expeditions were fitted out
to hunt the sea cow. How well they sue
ceeded is attested in the fact that by
1854, only 13 years after its discovery.
this great animal, "a to 30 feet long and
Weighing three or four tons when fully
grown, disappeared from the ocean.
Moved by the nearness Of similar fate
for the waIrus, the elephant seal, the sea
otter and the southern whales, the COM
nittee on Conservation OF Marine Life
Of the Pacific, a part Of the American
Association for the advancement Of
science has started the campaign TO have
the state department act.
One hundred years ago, the committee
points out, species Of fur seal had ex-
tensive breeding rookeries on the Faral-
lon Islands and other islands on the
coast line of California and Mexico.
More than 200, 900 Of these seal were
killed in the short period between 1908
and 1911 on the Farallons alone. while
thousands of others were added to the
slaughter on the channel Islands to the
southwark. This campaign virtually ex-
terminated this species Of seal
Further objections to the wholesale eI-
termination of whales have been raised
hy the sardine fishermen Of Monterey
Bay, California, who claim that the
whales herd the sardines inshore. Re
Gently the examination Of the stomach OF
a humpback whale brought into the
Moss Landing whaling station in Monte
rev Bay yielded from 1900 to S,Oo0
mounds OF sardInes. In the stomach OF
snorn whale was found ten foot
shark.
Due to the failure Of the United
States and Great Britain to include Jap
an in the treaty of 1892 forbidding the
killing of seals in the open sea, the Alas
ka fur seal herd was decreased by near-
" 100000 from 1897 to 1911. according
to scientific data. A new fur seal treaty
was NEGOTIATED in 1911, the participatips
countries being the United States, Great
Britain, Russia and Japan. Since the
time that treaty was made the herd has
increased by nearly 100000. So great has
the Increase been that there Is a SUE
picion that pelagio or ocean sealing is
again going on against the strict ruling
of the guardian nations. It Is pointed
out that any nation not signatory to the
treaty may engage in his sort Of seal
ing among the Alaska herd, and exter-
inmate it in time II new treaties are not
drawn up.