The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1951-03-05
SEAL BOUNTY
Cut In HALF,
LIMITS SET
House Approves Bill, Lin.
its Number of Bounties
10 Be Paid
BY BOB DE ALMOND

Il W RNp eAiN -NANesAl9 NCAiAAAAb'~N
bill amending the hair seal bounty
law passed the House of Repre-
sentatives this morning after it had
been considerably amended.
The bill, as passed, halves the
bounty on the predators, cutting il
from Sc to So. AS introduced by the
COMMITTEE, the bill cut the bounty
|ito 81.
The bill limits the number of
tbounties that may be paid to an in
|diyidual in one year to so. 1t also
provides that the bounty may be
paid "only to the person actually
taking such hair seal. No informed
larry or other person, partnership or
corporation shall be entitled to any
payment Of bounty"
The bill as introduced SCI the
western limit of the bounty area at
1862 degrees west longitude and the
northern limit at 81 degrees north
latitude. An amendment by Rep.
Wells of the Second Division chang
ed these figures to 166 degrees west
and 88 degrees north, thus taking in
the Norton Sound and Kotzebue
Sound areas.
Subsidy Admitted
why not save our fish, too?" Rep.
Wells asked in making his plea for
an extension of the bounty area.
The Eskimos, he said, do not kill
more seals than they can use and
do not kill them solely for the
bounty.
In answer to question by Rep
Kay, Wells said that while the Es-
kimoes may hunt little more in
tensively because of the bounty, the
bounty actually makes little differ
ence in the number of seals killed.
1--WE must recognize that this is
IS direct subsidy to those people, :
said Rep. Johnson. eve have had
many subsidies down here in the
form of schools and other public
improvements that they have not
had"
Rep. johnson said, however, that
he believes the entire method OF
predatory control should be revised
to provide for the heaviest killing
of predators where there is the
greatest menace.
Commercial, Hunting
"If this is merely a subsidy, let's
label it as such" commented Rep
Kay. He warned that it would be
possible for a hunting schooner to
go north and virtually exterminate
the hair seals in Boring Sea and
Arctic waters. 1T would be good
commercial venture, but it woulo
eliminate much of the food supply
of those people"
There has already been pressure
to raise the bounty again above Sc,
said Rep. Carlson. This thing can
get to be racket"
Carlson pointed out that there i
no commercial fishing north OF
Bristol Bay and that most OF the
seal bounties are now paid OUTSIDE
of the commercial fishing regions.
Carlson, however, vigorously pro
tested the limitation of SO bounties
for one individual in a year.
ut takes all the incentive out OF
seal hunting" Carlson asserted.
Eliminate Counties
Rep. Kay said he favors the elm
nation of the hair seal bounty en-
tirely. 1--WE should appropriate SO or
100 thousand dollars for the Depart
ment of Fisheries to hunt seals
where they do the greatest damage
to the commercial fisheries" Kay
said.
Rep Franklin agreed with thii
proposal but felt that lack of time
would prevent its enactment at this
session of the Legislature.
Rep. Carlson opposed passage Of
he bill in its amended form. 1T
IS now absolutely worthless and it
won't accomplish what it set out to
do" he charged.
IF we don't pass this bill Wen
have to appropriate half a million
dollars to pay for bounties under
the present law" Rep. Copyright
commented.
The bill passed on 1915 vote but
very nearly lost It's emergency clause
on the same vote, one short Of the
necessary two-thirds. Rep Kay
however, reconsidered, the reconsid-
Grafton was acted upon Immediately
and on the second roll call the