162 U. S. BUKEAU OP FISHERIES 



Sale of 7S7 blue and 15 white fox skins at St. Louis, Mo., October 15, 1924 — Con. 



FUR-SEAL PATROL 



A patrol for the protection of the American fur-seal herd on its 

 annual migration to the Pribilof Islands was carried on by seven ves- 

 sels of the United States Coast Guard in the spring of 1924. The 

 waters covered extended from California along the coasts of Oregon, 

 Washington, British Columbia, southeastern Alaska, and across the 

 Gulf of Alaska. Particular attention was given to the region of the 

 Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea, three of the cutters remaining in 

 those waters until the close of the sealing season. 



An Executive order of April 11, 1924, directed a special patrol by 

 vessels of the Bureau of Fisheries in Alaskan waters for the protec- 

 tion of the American fur-seal herd, and authorized the search and 

 seizure of any vessels of the United States suspected of engaging in 

 illegal sealing. Under the general direction of Warden M. J. O'Con- 

 nor the Murre and Petrel maintained a patrol during April and May 

 in the vicinity of Sitka, where the Indians usually carry on pelagic 

 sealing. On account of the stormy weather that prevailed during 

 the migration, and also the low price offered for sealskins, practically 

 no sealing was done, only eight skins being secured. 



One fur-seal skin taken on halibut gear was turned over to a rep- 

 resentative of the bureau at Sitka by the master of the halibut 

 schooner Brothers. The commander of the Coast Guard patrol force 

 reported the seizure at Unalaska on May 14 of the gas boat Halleys 

 with four sealskins and one sea-otter skin on board. 



Canadian authorities have advised that 34 fur-seal skins were 

 confiscated at Prince Rupert for which satisfactory evidence was not 

 produced as to their having been lawfully taken. These were con- 

 sidered as of the 1924 take. 



