The yield would have been increased 

 considerably if the rib cage could have 

 been ground along with the meat. In 

 addition, the heart, lungs, kidneys, and 

 spleen could have been included with 

 the meat. These organs alone would 

 have increased the yield per animal 

 by approximately 50 pounds. 



Sea lion liver has little value as a 

 source of vitamin A. Analysis of core 

 samples taken from 30 bags of frozen 

 livers showed the vitamin A content to 

 be 13,550 units per gram of oil or 

 249,500 units per pound of liver. ' The 

 livers are satisfactory for mink ra- 

 tions. 



The hides are of little value 

 because of: (l) scars and bruises the 

 animals incur naturally and during 

 handling; (2) cost of curing which 

 ranges between 30 and 35 cents per 

 square foot; and (3) poor appearance 

 of the grain, which precludes com- 

 mercial acceptance.^ Perhaps a portion 

 of the hide could be used by the sou- 

 venir industry in Alaska. For instance, 

 the leather from the flippers might be 

 used for items such as billfolds, and 

 teeth could be used for making souve- 

 nirs. 



The portion of the carcass remain- 

 ing after the meat has been trimmed 

 off, including the blubber, could be 

 used for meal and oil. 



There are other factors, aside 

 from technological or econonnical con- 

 siderations that might affect the suc- 

 cess of future expeditions. Sea lions 

 habitually choose remote and relatively 

 inaccessible islands as rookery sites. 

 The great majority of Alaska's rook- 

 eries are located in the waters of the 

 North Pacific, an area of frequent 

 stomas. Stormy weather and its sec- 

 ondary effect of surf might cause the 

 loss of many days' operations . Weather 

 conditions along the Alaska Peninsula 



'Analysis completed by a commercial testing labora- 

 tory, 



^Personal communication between Albert D. Levy, 

 Washington Fish and Oyster Company of California, and 

 Poetch and Peterson, San Francisco, California. 



and the Aleutian Chain were excep- 

 tionally good during the spring and 

 early summer of 1959 and did not 

 seriously hamper the Arctic Maid; 

 even so, 9 days were lost during her 

 2 -month cruise because of weather. 

 However, weather is always an over- 

 lying risk in any deep-sea fishing 

 operation and must be considered a 

 normal hazard. 



The cunnulative effects of harvest- 

 ing sea lion herds are, of course, 

 unknown. If harvesting continues on an 

 annual basis, it is certain to produce 

 lasting changes in herd structure, 

 abundance, and perhaps distribution. 

 Studies carried out by the Alaska 

 Department of Fish and Game and the 

 Fisheries Research Institute have pro- 

 vided excellent information on present 

 distribution and abundance. Informa- 

 tion on behavior, reproduction, and 

 other phases of life history has been 

 obtained, but is based on only a few 

 observations and specimens. 



Seasonal shifts in abundance do 

 occur. The greatest nunnbers of ani- 

 mals are found on the rookeries during 

 the pupping and breeding seasons, mid- 

 May through mid- July (Mathisen, 1958). 

 Continued harassment at this time 

 may force emigration from established 

 rookeries to even more remote and 

 inaccessible sites. Movement out of 

 hunted areas, laterally along the beach 

 or to nearby rocks, was observed on 

 all rookeries during the course of the 

 experimental harvest after 3 to 5 days' 

 hunting. 



The Arctic Mairf harvest consisted 

 almost entirely of males, because their 

 large size made them connmercially 

 more attractive than the smaller fe- 

 males. Cropping only males will not 

 affect herd productivity for a number 

 of years or as long as there is a sur- 

 plus of breeding males. This is in- 

 herent in the social structure of sea 

 lion herds. Breeding bulls maintain 

 loosely organized harems. Mathisen 

 (1958) states that the size of an indi- 

 vidual harem does not remain fixed; a 

 bull noted to have 30 cows one day 

 might have 10 the next day and pos- 

 sibly 35 the third day. Simiilarly, the 



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