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IV. HISTORY OF LIVING RESOURCE 

 EXPLOITATION IN ANTARCTICA 



In considering a conservation regime for Antarctic 

 marine life, an historical review of past utilization may 

 offer insight into the overall desirability of various 

 approaches to harvest strategies. Evaluating influential 

 economic, political, and scientific factors in the exploitation 

 of Antarctic seals and whales may suggest policies conducive 

 to management practices in the future. 



A. Sealing (Fur Seals and Elephant Seals) 



James Cook first crossed the Antarctic Circle in 1773. 

 During the course of several return trips to southern oceans, 

 he recorded seal abundance. Since northern hemispheric 

 sealing was already a profitable and well developed industry, 

 the number of sealers travelling to the Antarctic increased 

 dramatically as word of the vast numbers of seals spread 

 (Stonehouse, 1972). 



In 1810 Frederick Hasselborough, an Australian sealer, 

 discovered the subantarctic island of Macquarie and its 

 abundant fur seals ( Arctocephalus fosteri ) and elephant 

 seals ( Mirounga leonina ) . He returned the next year with 

 several sealing ships and began harvesting fur seals in 

 earnest. Within only ten years virtually all of the hundreds 

 of thousands of fur seals formerly in that area had been 

 killed. The unrestrained slaughter continued as the sealers 

 then turned to the elephant seal to exploit its blubber for 

 oil. Again, within approximately a decade, all but a few of 

 these seals were killed (Peterson, 1973) . Once the seals 

 were no longer abundant enough to exploit economically, 

 sealers departed. However, because few or no fur seals were 

 left, natural migration of fur seals did not reclaim this 

 island until nearly 125 years later. Not until 1955 was a 

 fur seal pup born. Since that time, the residual elephant 

 seal has gradually increased to the present 100,000 or more. 



In 1819 a British merchant, blown off course, discovered 

 the South Shetlands and upon its return reported abundant 

 seals. By the 1820-1821 season, 40 ships (British and American) 

 were at the South Shetlands sealing. Within 4 years, 320,000 

 fur seals were killed, producing 940 tons of oil and leaving 

 the fur seal stock depleted. For the next fifty years, the 

 fur seal population gradually increased until 1870 when the 

 sealers once again wiped out the population (Stonehouse, 

 1972). This story was repeated many times as the subantarctic 

 islands of South Georgia, Kerguelen, Macquarie, Heard, and 

 South Orkneys were discovered and stripped of seals. By the 

 1830 's, most seal stocks of these islands were depleted or 

 gone altogether (Stonehouse, 1972) . 



