ABSOLUTE PROHIBITION OF PELAGIC SEALING. 509 



Deponent says while lie does not wish to express any opinion upon 

 the matters which are in controversy, that never- 

 theless, looking at the question of preserving the n. s. Bevington. p. 553. 

 seals from a natural-history point of view alone, 



and having- no regard whatever to the rights of any individuals or 

 nations, but looking at the matter simply from the point of view of how 

 best to preserve the seals, he has no hesitation in saying that the best 

 way to accomplish that object would be to prohibit absolutely the kill- 

 ing of all seals except upon the islands, and, furthermore to limit the 

 killing of seals on the islands to the male species at particular times, 

 nnd to limit the numbers of the males to be so killed. If, however, 

 the rights of individuals are to be considered, and sealing in the open 

 sea is to be allowed, then deponent thinks that the number of vessels 

 to be sent out by each country ought to be limited, and the number of 

 seals which may be caught by each vessel should be specified. 



Deponent says that one reason why he thinks the killing of seals in 

 the open sea should be prohibited and all killing limited to the islands 

 is because deponent is of the opinion that when seals are killed in the 

 open sea a large number must be killed which are not recovered, and 

 consequently that the herds must suffer much greater loss than is 

 measured by the skins of the seals caught or coming to market. 



Deponent further says that one reason for this opinion is that he has 

 had some small experience in shooting hair seals in the Scilly Islands, 

 and has himself personally killed hair seals at a distance of 40 or 50 

 yards, which sank before he could reach them. Hair-seals are of the 

 same general family as the fur-seals, and he has no doubt that the same 

 thing occurs, and must occur, when the fur-seals are killed on the open 

 sea. 



It is my opinion that for the proper preservation J. A. Bradley, p. 227. 

 of fur-seal life, all pelagic hunting should be 

 stopped absolutely. 



I am of the opinion that the Pribilof seal herd Charles Bryant, p. 9. 

 should be protected throughout Bering Sea and 

 also in the North Pacific Ocean. 



In my judgment pelagic seal hunting should be absolutely prohibited 

 both in Bering Sea and the North Pacific. In 

 case there is not such prohibition the Pribilof seal s. N. Buynitshy, p. 22. 

 herd will be either exterminated in a very short 



time or else the few which escape from the indiscriminate slaughter of 

 pelagic hunters will be driven from the Pribilof Islands. 



It will be necessary to prevent at once further open-sea or coastwise 

 killing of seals, both in Bering Sea and northern Pacific Ocean, if they 

 are to save them from extinction on the Pribilof Islands. * * * 



And if the pelagic hunter and his destructive methods were ban- 

 ished from the waters of the Bering Sea and North Pacific it would be 

 but a few years when these islands would again be teeming with seal 

 life. 



I do not think it possible for seals to exist for any length of time if 

 the present slaughter continues. The killing of 



the females means the death of her born or un- Jas. L. Carthout, p. 409. 

 born pup, and it is not reasonable to expect that 



