XVI REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES 



pared for shipment to St. Louis, Mo., where they are made ready 

 for market and sold at auction. The fur-seal convention of 1911 

 stipulates that Great Britain and Japan shall each receive 15 per 

 cent of the sealskins taken annually at the Pribilof Islands, but 

 through arrangement with those nations the matter is handled by 

 remittance to each of 15 per cent of the net proceeds of skins sold. 



Sealing work at the Pribilofs during the year was along the 

 usual lines. Approximately half of the skins taken on St. Paul 

 Island were blubbered before being salted, and the matter of ade- 

 quate breeding reserves received attention. As to construction and 

 permanent improvement activities in 1925, particular mention may 

 be made of the new water-supply systems put in operation and the 

 excellent progress made in the replacement of old dwellings for 

 natives and white employees on both islands. Also, considerable 

 road construction work was done on St. Paul Island. 



The 325 native inhabitants at the Pribilofs are, in effect, wards 

 of the Government. They engage in sealing and other work of the 

 two communities. Cash payments of 75 cents for each sealskin 

 and $5 for each fox skin taken are made to the natives, but their 

 main compensation is in shelter, food, clothing, schools, and medical 

 attention furnished without cost by the Government. Activities on 

 the Pribilofs are supervised by a staff of white employees. 



Through cooperation of the Navy Department the annual supplies 

 and a number of employees of the bureau were transported on the 

 U. S. S. Vega from Seattle, Wash., to the Pribilof Islands. Em- 

 ployees were furnished transportation on vessels of the United States 

 Coast Guard as well. Acknowledgment is made of the particularly 

 constructive cooperation of both the Navy and the Coast Guard in 

 connection with the bureau's fur-seal activities. 



SEAL HERD 



Computations showed a total of 723,050 fur seals in the herd on 

 August 10, 1925, an increase of 25,892 animals over the figures for the 

 corresponding date in 1924. 



TAKE OF SEALSKINS 



In the calendar year 1925, 19,860 fur-seal skins were taken on the 

 Pribilof Islands, of which 15,082 were secured on St. Paul Island 

 and 4,778 on St. George Island. 



MARKING OF RESERVED SEALS 



As in the previous season, a reserve of 3-year-old male seals was 

 marked by shearing a patch of fur from the top of the head. On 

 St. Paul Island 7,424 were so marked and on St. George Island 

 1,130. In addition, on St. George Island 800 3-year-old males were 

 given a permanent brand with a hot iron to enable recognition and 

 observation in future years. This makes a total of 9,354 reserved in 

 1925. A temporary mark also was put on 2,918 4-year-old and 2,730 

 5-year-old males. 



