58 FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1907. 



hunting of the fur seal. Under the laws in force at present only 

 Indians can kill fur seals. When the animals in their northward 

 migration to Bering Sea reach the neighborhood of Baranof Island, on 

 which Sitka is located, during the month of May, the natives go out 

 in small sailboats and canoes and hunt them with guns. This year 

 they secured 355 skins, which, owing to the spirited competition, sold 

 for $23 each, a very high price. These skins are much sought after 

 by the dealers because, being taken by natives, and a certificate from 

 the collector of customs certifying to this being attached to each, they 

 can, under the law, be sent abroad to bo cleaned and dyed, and then 

 can be brought back and sold in our markets. The possession of 

 such a certificate is considered to add about SIO to the value of the 

 skin. 



The pelagic fleet hailing from British Columbia, and working on the 

 northern herd, was composed this year of 15 vessels, and its catch 

 amounted to 2,858 skins from Bering Sea, 448 from Copper Island, 

 1,934 from the British Columbia-Alaska Coast, a total of 5,240, while 

 157 were taken by Indians in canoes along the coast, a grand total for 

 British Columbia of 5,397 skins. In 1906, 17 vessels caught 7,983 

 seals in Bering Sea, and 1,403 from along the coast, a total of 9,386. 

 In 1905 the Bering Sea catch of the fleet amounted to 10,832 skins. 



A Japanese pelagic fleet, estimated to comprise 36 vessels, also 

 hunted in Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean and secured 

 about 9,000 seals. As this fleet is not bound by the restrictions of the 

 international agreement between Great Britain and this country, 

 it hunted when, where, and as it pleased outside the 3-mile limit. But 

 even this practically free hand did not satisfy some of the Japanese. 

 On July 3 the revenue cutter Jianmw^ discovered boats from the schoon- 

 ers Nitto Maru, Kaiwo, and Kompiro inside thp 3-mile limit near 

 Southwest Bay, St. Paul Island, and promptly seized all three ves- 

 sels. As there was a doubt as to the guilt of the Kompiro, she was 

 released with the customary warning. The Nitto Maru and Kaiwo 

 were towed to Unalaska, where the crews were taken off the vessels 

 and put aboard the Manning, which carried them to Valdez in August 

 for trial. The captain and 6 members of the crew of the Nitto Maru 

 were found guilty, were fined respectively $500 and $200 each, and 

 the vessel was ordered to be libeled. The government later ordered 

 her release. Three members of the crew of the Kaiwo were convicted 

 and fined $300 each. Nearly all the fines were paid by the companies 

 operating the vessels. On June 17 the Japanese schooner Mei Maru 

 was seized by the revenue cutter Perry, charged with having boats 

 sealing within the 3-mile limit, but she was later released, as the 

 evidence was not conclusive. 



The schooner Kaiwo proved to have had an eventful career. She 

 was built at Gloucester, Mass., and for some years was engaged in 



