ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



231 



Q. If there is a decrease, to what do you attribute it? — A. On 

 account of so much extermination and hunting by the seal hunters. 

 (Gustave Sundvall.) 



T have heard that seal have been decreasing the last few years ; caused, 

 I think, by pelagic sealing. (W. Thomas.) 



The decrease, I think, is caused by the indiscriminate killing of 

 female seals. (Rudolph Walton.) 



From what I know seals have been decreasing very fast in recent 

 years. Think the decrease is caused by the indiscriminate killing in 

 the IS^orth Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. (P. S. Weittenhiller.) 



My experience is that the seals have been decreasing in numbers for 

 the last six or seven years, and within the past two or three years very 

 rapidly, owing to the indiscriminate killing of them by pelagic hunters 

 and vessels engaged in that business in the waters of the North Pacific 

 and Bering Sea. (Michael White.) 



INCREASE OF SEALING FLEET. 



Pelagic sealing as an industry is of recent origin and may be said to 

 date from 1879. In 1880, according to the official report of the Cana- 

 dian minister of marine and fisheries, 7 vessels and 213 men were 

 engaged in pelagic sealing in the North Pacific, securing 13,600 skins, 

 valued at $103,200. The same authority states that in 1886 20 vessels 

 and 459 men secured 38,907 skins, valued at $389,070. In 1891 the 

 number of United States and Canadian vessels had increased to over 

 100 ; upward of 2,000 men were engaged, and more than 62,000 skins 

 were secured. (Report of American commissioners.) 



The number of seal skins actually recorded as sold as a result of 

 pelagic sealing is shown in the following table: 



a Number estimated from value given. 



One reason for deponent's opinion that the total number of seals in 

 the Pacific and Bering Sea has diminished very rai)idly is the fact — 

 which deponent knows from the fact that he buys so large a portion of 

 the poachers' catch — that there are now engaged in what is called 

 "poaching" about 80 vessels, and tliat about five years ago not more 

 than 10 vessels were engaged in poaching; that the total number of 

 skins brought in by the whole 80 vessels is now not very mucli greater- 

 than the number brought in five years by 10 vessels. The poaching 

 vessels a few years ago have been known to get as many as 3,000 or 

 4,000 skins, and deponent has bought 4,000 skins from one vessel, 

 whereas no poaching vessel now gets more than a few hundred with 

 the same size crew. One vessel last year sailing from Victoria made 

 a catch of 1,900 skins, but this is now an altogether exceptional catch, 

 and this vessel had a crew twice as large as poaching vessels for- 

 merly carried, and was equipped with from 12 to 15 boats instead of 5 



