Considering the volunne and frequency of 

 occurrence of commercially important fishes 

 found in fur seal stomachs and our limited 

 knowledge of the ocean environment and its 



ecology, we believe the effects of predation on 

 food species with economic value are impos- 

 sible to assess with any degree of confidence. 



SUMMARY 



Pelagic research in 1968 was conducted for 

 continuing studies of the distribution, feeding 

 habits, migration, and pregnancy rates of fur 

 seals. 



The m/V Tonquin was chartered for research 

 off Washington in November-December 1967 

 and January- February 1968. The M/V New 

 St. Joseph was chartered for research in Alaska 

 waters from May through August 1968. 



Of 1,078 seals sighted off Washington, 374 

 were collected, 39 were wounded and lost, and 

 26 were killed and lost. Of 1,509 seals sighted 

 in Alaska waters, 456 were collected, 27 were 

 wounded and lost, and 78 were killed and lost. 

 About 50 percent of the females taken were 

 1 to 7 years of age. 



Seventy-four yearlings (1967 year class) 

 were taken in January and February for con- 

 tinuing studies of these aninials during their 

 first year of life, a period when fur seals suffer 

 the greatest mortality. 



Thirty-eight tagged or marked seals were 

 collected. 



Five primiparous 4-year-old females were 

 the youngest and one 21 -year-old multiparous 

 female was the oldest among pregnant seals 

 taken. 



Off Washington, salmon, anchovy, rockfish, 

 eulachon, and capelin constituted 83.3 percent 

 of the total food volume. Salmon (60 occur- 

 rences) was the leading species and contri- 

 buted 31.7 percent of the total food volume. 



Walleye pollock, squids, and Atka mackerel 

 constituted 84.9 percent of the total food 

 volume of seals from Alaska waters. Walleye 

 pollock was the leading species in three of 

 four areas surveyed and contributed 37.8 

 percent of the total food volume. 



Sixty fecal samples were connpared with 

 corresponding stomach contents for a study 

 of the feeding habits of yearling seals. Ninety- 

 seven percent of the samples contained the 

 remains of fish, and 33 percent of the cor- 

 responding stomachs were empty. 



LITERATURE CITED 



CHAPMAN, DOUGLAS C, and ANCEL M. 

 JOHNSON. 

 1968. Estimation of fur seal pup populations 

 by randomized sampling. Trans. Amer. 

 Fish. Soc, 97: 264-270. 



FISCUS, CLIFFORD H., GARY A. BAINES, and 

 FORD WILKE. 

 1964. Pelagic fur seal investigations, Alas- 

 kan waters, 1962. U.S. Fish Wildl. 

 Serv., Spec. Sci. Rep. Fish. 475, iii + 

 59 pp. 



FISCUS, CLIFFORD. H., and HlROSHl 

 KAJIMURA. 

 1967. Pelagic fur seal investigations, 1965. 

 U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., Spec. Sci. Rep. 

 Fish. 537, iv + 42 pp. 



JOHNSON, ANCEL M. 



1968. Annual mortality of territorial male 

 fur seals and its management signifi- 

 cance. J. Wildl. Manage. 32: 94-99. 

 MARINE MAMMAL BIOLOGICAL LABORA- 

 TORY 

 1969 Fur seal investigations, 1966. U.S. 

 Fish Wildl. Serv,, Spec, Sci. Rep. Fish. 

 584, vii + 123 pp. 

 1970. Fur seal investigations, 1967. U.S. 

 Fish Wildl. Serv., Spec. Sci. Rep. Fish. 

 597, 

 STANDING SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE OF THE 

 NORTH PACIFIC FUR SEAL COMMISSION. 

 1963. Glossary of terms used in fur seal 

 research and management. U.S. Fish 

 Wildl. Serv., Fish Leafl. 546, 9 pp. 



69 



