Planning for Alaska's Big Game— Marie 265 



the walrus herds living in Bering Sea and adjacent parts of the 

 Artie Ocean moved over their migration routes with the sea- 

 sons, and contributed to the livelihood of the original inhabi- 

 tants of those shores. The walrus supply was maintained, since 

 only enough was taken by the people to meet their personal 

 needs. 



Today it is different. Two major changes have been made. 

 There is an outside demand for ivory products, beyond the 

 personal needs of the Eskimo. And the Eskimo are using modern 

 firearms. 



Formerly the walrus were harpooned, with little waste. 

 Today, when walrus are shot with rifles, an alarming percent- 

 age of the animals killed sink and are lost. 



The Eskimo, when governing themselves in their original 

 society, showed wisdom in meeting their problems. The present 

 walrus problem should be approached by consultation with 

 representative Eskimo leaders, who should be in a position to 

 offer practical suggestions for solving a problem that concerns 

 their own future so directly. 



A game management program should be based strictly on 

 scientific findings, with emphasis on ecology and with considera- 

 tion of the total interest in wildlife. Any animal population 

 must exist in accordance with biological, ecological, law. It is 

 necessary to discover those laws and apply them. 



Furthermore, it is desirable that the public be made familiar 

 with scientific management of wildlife. Recently the U. S. Fish 

 and Wildlife Service and the University of Alaska have com- 

 pleted arrangements for a Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit 

 at the University. This is another of several developments in 

 Alaska that point the direction toward effective management 

 of wildlife and public appreciation of the true problem. 



Predation is a subject too complex to discuss in detail here, 

 but it has had great publicity in Alaska in recent years. When 

 predation becomes serious it should not be ignored, and control 

 should be applied as needed. But in such instances it is difficult 

 to maintain public objectivity. The subject lends itself so well 

 to journalistic writing and emotional expression that it becomes 



