number of idle bulls is a changing 

 figure. Since harem bulls that are 

 killed are quickly replaced by idle 

 bulls, a great number of bulls would 

 have to be removed before the produc- 

 tion of a herd would be affected. Con- 

 trolling sea lion numbers or reducing 

 a herd size by cropping only males 

 would be a slow process. There would 

 be no sharp decrease in sea lion ac- 

 tivities on the fishing grounds. If reduc- 

 tion of the numbers of sea lions is an 

 urgent and overriding consideration, 

 then more females must be killed. If 

 sea lions can be successfully exploited, 

 it may later become necessary to 

 regulate the harvest to preserve the 

 resource. 



Sea lion harvesting should take 

 place during the pupping and breeding 

 season when the animals are most 

 available and least wary. On large 

 rookeries specific areas should be 

 hunted alternately for a greater yield. 

 On a hunt-rest basis animals would 

 not vacate an area quickly and would 

 therefore be available for a long period 

 of time. 



If utilization of sea lion herds 

 should prove a commercial success, 

 the situation will be unique in having 

 information available for management 

 during the initial stages of exploita- 

 tion. Observations of herd structure, 

 behavior, and life history should con- 

 tinue and be concomitant with com- 

 mercial developrment of this resource. 



The problems encountered by the 

 sea lion expedition were numerous. 

 One of the main objectives was accom- 

 plished when it was found that sea 

 lions could be taken in sufficient num- 

 bers to make a harvest possible. Proc- 

 essing problems kept production down, 

 but the use of specialized equipment 

 would overconne these. 



The Arctic Maid harvested sea 

 lions from five rookeries in the North 

 Pacific Ocean between Kodiak Island 

 and Unimak Pass in the period from 

 May 27 to July 15, 1959- During the 

 expedition 6 16 sea lions were killed, 

 of which 464 were ultimately processed. 

 The yield was approximately 200 tons 

 of ground sea lion meat and 9 tons of 

 whole livers. The sea lion products 

 were frozen and packaged in 50-pound 

 bags. With the exception of a small 

 portion retained for experimental pur- 

 poses, the entire amount of meat and 

 livers was distributed and sold through 

 commercial channels to fur farmers 

 for use in mink rations. The meat was 

 sold at the rate of 10 cents a pound, 

 the livers at 12 cents a pound. Pos- 

 sibilities for other markets exist, but 

 these are dependent on a stable annual 

 harvest. 



It is strongly advised that anyone 

 interested in engaging in a sea lion 

 fishery in Alaskan waters check with 

 Federal and AlaskanState fishery regu- 

 lations. 



SUMMARY 



LITERATURE CITED 



A commercial fishing connpany, 

 under contract with the Bureau of Com- 

 mercial Fisheries, conducted an ex- 

 perinnental harvest of Steller sea lions 

 in Alaskan waters. The purpose of the 

 experiment was to determine whether 

 sea lions could be harvested, proc- 

 essed, and marketed in sufficient quan- 

 tity to make a commercial venture 

 practical as a means of decreasing 

 the size of sea lion herds. 



ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND 

 GAME. 



1957. Alaska Department of Fish 

 and Game Annual Report for 

 1957. 124 pp. 



DASSOW, JOHN A. 



1956. Utilization of sea lions in 

 Alaska. U. S. Fish and Wildlife 

 Service, Commercial Fisheries 

 Review, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 5-9. 



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