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since commercial sealing stopped. However, in areas of 

 particularly intensive whaling around South Georgia, the 

 recolonization of beaches and general population increase 

 has been faster than in areas of less intensive whaling. 

 Laws (1973) pointed out that unlike many other fur seals, 

 Ar otocephalus gazella feeds on krill and that its most rapid 

 population increases have occurred in the Scotia Arc region 

 where it is sympatric with the feeding grounds of Antarctic 

 whales. These data suggest that some seal populations were 

 food-limited through competition with other krill consumers, 

 and that when one competitor was largely removed, seal 

 populations increased because of reduced competition. 



3. Penguins and Other Seabirds 



Although Prevost (1976) inferred that penguin populations 

 have not increased since the decline of whale stocks, other 

 authors disagree (Rankin, 1951; Sladen, 1964; Stonehouse, 

 1967a). An extensive literature review (Conroy and White, 

 1973 and Conroy, 1975) indicated increases in king, emperor, 

 macaroni, adelie, chinstrap, and gentoo penguin populations 

 in the Scotia Arc region. This area of high krill concentration 

 also represents the area of greatest overlap in the feeding 

 distributions of baleen whales and penguins (Laws, 1977a). 

 Conroy (1975) notes that of the three pygoscelid species 

 present there, chinstrap and adelie penguins, both of which 

 rely more heavily on krill than gentoo penguins, increased 

 more than gentoo penguins. Caughley (1960) and Taylor 

 (1962) did not observe penguin population increases in the 

 Ross sea, an area lacking intensive whaling. Their data and 

 information from Mackintosh (1973) provides an interesting 

 contrast to areas of major whaling where penguin populations 

 increased. 



With the possible exception of Pryor (1968) , there are 

 few data suggesting seabird populations increased as reported 

 in penguins. Pryor indicated that populations of southern 

 fulmars, Antarctic, snow, and Wilson's petrels as well as 

 cape pigeons may have increased at Hazwell Island in past 

 years, although in terms of total avian biomass in the 

 Southern Ocean, other seabirds may not be dominant krill 

 consumers. Still, it seems reasonable to assume that seabirds 

 for which krill is an important food (Mackintosh, 1964; 

 Tickle, 1965; Holdgate, 1967; Beck, 1970; Knox, 1970) may 

 have increased as baleen whale stocks decreased. 



