In 1962, collections and observations were 

 confined mostly to Unimak Pass and waters 

 in the North Pacific and Bering Sea within 2 

 days' travel of the pass. The pass area was 

 selected for the following reasons: 



1. Seals move through the pass from May 

 to November and can be collected more 

 systematically and over a longer period than 

 in coastal areas where they remain for a rela- 

 tively short time. 



2. The pass is an important route for 

 salmon migrating into Bristol Bay. Predation 

 by seals upon salmon has long been a subject 

 of investigation. 



3. The pass is a suitable location in which 

 to determine the southern limit of feeding by 

 nursing females. It lies about 180 to 220 miles 

 southeast of the nursing grounds. 



4. Sheltered anchorage for vessels can be 

 found close to sealing grounds. 



Collections made from 1958 to 1962 cover 

 parts of every month in the year. Together 

 with Canadian collections, they provide satis- 

 factory information on the kinds of food taken 

 by seals, the areas where seals concentrate, 

 and the general timing of migration by age and 

 sex. Relatively little collecting, however, has 

 been done in October, November, and De- 

 cember. 



METHODS, EQUIPMENT, 

 AND PERSONNEL 



Vessels and Boats 



Two purse seine vessels '■ were chartered 

 for pelagic collecting in 1962. Each vessel was 

 required to have loran navigating equipment, 

 a radio direction finder, ship-to-shore and 

 ship-to-ship radio, radar, an echo sounder, 

 and a minimum of 20 cubic feet of freezer 

 space for specimens. One vessel was equipped 

 with gear stabilizers, which reduced rolling; 



'mA' Tacoma --registered length 71.5 feet, 76 net 

 tons, 240 horsepower (hp.), cruising speed 9 knots; 

 M/V //armony-- registered length 70.5 feet, 61 net 

 tons, 220 hp., cruising speed 9 knots. 



one was equipped with hydraulic steering, which 

 made the vessel more maneuverable when 

 pursuing seals. 



Because both vessels had been chartered 

 before and carried experienced owner-cap- 

 tains, vessel handling and work routines were 

 established smoothly and quickly. Each vessel 

 carried a crew consisting of captain, engineer, 

 cook, and deckhand. A Bureau of Commercial 

 Fisheries biologist and two or three biological 

 aids comprised the biological crew. The ship's 

 crew assisted the biologists when needed. 



Nineteen-foot dories or Fiberglas skiffs 

 powered with 10 hp. outboard motors were 

 used for hunting during good weather. 



The Tacoma operated in or near Unimak 

 Pass from 16 May to 18 September. The 

 Harmony operated in the same area from 20 

 August to 8 October. 



When both vessels were working, they main- 

 tained radio contact to coordinate movements. 

 Loran bearings were taken periodically to aid 

 in plotting positions and in navigation. Radar 

 and radio direction finders were used exten- 

 sively because of frequent fog in the Aleutian 

 Islands area. 



Both vessels carried enough supplies, water, 

 and fuel for at least 1 month at sea. Dutch 

 Harbor afforded the only close supply of fuel. 

 The longest time any one vessel operated with- 

 out refueling was 20 days. Due to the hazard 

 of drifting at night in the strong currents 

 around the Aleutian Islands, most nights were 

 spent in a sheltered anchorage. 



Hunting Methods 



During periods of calm seas and when seals 

 were abundant, small boats were also used to 

 collect seals. When hunting from a vessel, all 

 crew members except the cook usually stayed 

 on the bridge to look for seals. When a seal 

 was sighted, two gunners would go to the bow 

 to shoot while the rest of the crew assisted 

 the helmsman in following the seal, or stood 

 by to recover those that were killed. Dead 

 animals were brought aboard by two or three 

 men using four-pronged gaffs attached to 14- 

 foot bamboo poles. 



