J02 



PACIFIC COAST FISHERIES 



FUR SEAL INDUSTRY OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS, 1970 



Fur sealing operations on the Prlbllof Islands produced 42,179 commercial sealskins — an 

 Increase of 3,374 compared with 1969. Male seals accounted for 42,060 commercial sealskins; 

 the remaining 119 were taken from female seals. Only 21 female seals were taken for scientific 

 research; the rest were taken inadvertently. 



NOTE:— THE SEALING SEASON BEGAN JUNE 24 AND ENDED JULY 31, 1970. 



Fur seal production on St , 

 than in 1969. 



Paul Island was 86 percent of the total harvest--sllghtly more 



For the eighth consecutive year, sealskin curing operations were under Government super- 

 vision. Of the 65-man crew only 28 were Pribilof and Aleutian residents. The rest were from the 

 mainland areas. During the peak of the season, 46 men were employed in the plant at St. Paul and 

 19 at St. George Island. 



A 5-year contract was awarded to the Oregon Marine Products Company to process fur seal 

 carcasses from St. Paul Island and produce ground meat for use as frozen animal food. The Mit- 

 subishi International, a Japanese company, has a similar contract to use the fur seal carcasses 

 from St. George Island, but did not process carcasses in either 1969 or 1970. 



A team of scientists from Virginia Mason Research Center of Seattle, Wash. , spent con- 

 siderable time on St. Paul Island, as they had in 1969. The team continued investigations of the 

 various possible methods of destroying fur seals humanely. 



DISTRIBUTION AND TAKE OF SEALSKINS, 1970 



The fur seal treaty provides that Canada and Japan each receive 15 percent of the skins 

 taken in the Pribilof Islands. The distribution of sealskins follows. 



The standard packing formula used in 1970 was 80 skins per barrel, with the exception of 100 bar- 

 rels that were packed with 75 skins. Female sealskins were not barreled separately but were 

 marked and packed with the male skins. The season's production of blubber was 27 6 barrels. 



