36 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVAL SERVICE 



8 GEORGE V, A. 1918 

 22. SUGGESTED COXTROL OF DESTRUCTION OF SEA-LIONS. 



The ecoitomic side of tlie question has been discussed and it is not necessary 

 to refer to it again except to mention two points. The first is that the price of leather 

 is rapidly going up, thus adding force to the argument as to the value of sea-lion 

 skins. The second is with reference to the sea-lion carcass. It has been truly said 

 that the flesh should make good fertilizer and poultry food, but it must be remembered 

 that up to the present, plants for producing marine animal fertilizer on this coast 

 have not been especially noted for their financial successes. Sea-lion carcasses cannot 

 be taken to any of the fertilizer plants now in existence and made use of at a profit. 

 With the processes now in use, it would not pay to erect a fertilizer plant to make 

 use of fish offal at Elvers inlet or any other fishing centre where the fishing season 

 is so short. No line of economic research in connection with the fishing industry 

 on this coast offers a more promising field than that to do with the elimination of 

 waste or rather the transmutation of waste products to products of commercial value 

 at a cost that will ensure a reasonable profit on the outlay. When cheaper methods 

 of producing fertilizer and poultry food have been woi'ked out, the sea-lion carcass 

 may become an important factor. 



The commissioners have no hesitation in stating that they can see no valid 

 reason at present at any rate for adopting any plan looking toward total extermination 

 of the Steller sea-lion. Even when its depredations were most serious it has been 

 shown that these can be reduced to a negligible quantity in a comparatively short 

 time. Since that is so, it should not be a difficult matter to keep the depredation 

 at a minimum. It may be well that, as Manager Inrig has suggested, this could be done 

 by spending $200 for ammunition each year to scare them away and terrorize them. 

 If it could be done at Elvers inlet it should be done equally well at Bafkley sound, 

 possibly better since the lions come in there apparently in a single group about the 

 first of November. If this were done it should be under the control of the Federal 

 Department of Fisheries, as Mr. Inrig suggests. If the scare is not sufficient, it might 

 be advisable to materially reduce the numbers of sea-lions at the rookery responsible 

 for the depredation, when the menace became threatening. In either case the opera- 

 tion should be so controlled that the greatest commercial value could be obtained. 

 Indiscriminate and promiscuous killing should not be tolerated. 



While the number of sea-lions is as great as it is at present, it might be legitimate 

 to allow the killing of a certain number each year as in the case of all other species 

 of commercial value, provided that not more than the numlber which would represent 

 the annual increase were taken, under conditions that would ensure conservation. 



CHAELES F. NEWCOMBE, 



WM. HAMAE GEEENWOOD, 



C. McLEAN FEASEE. 



