512 ALASKAN HERD. 



In such a case as this I do not believe that the enforcement of a 

 close time, either in Bering Sea or on the north- 

 Prof. T.H.Huxley, J <^- W est coast, would be of any practical utility, un- 

 ' 1) ' 1J * less the fishing is absolutely prohibited. 



Granting that open-sea seal hunting is to be allowed, the use of the 

 gun should be absolutely prohibited, and a close 



Francis li. King-Hall, time established which should extend from the 

 P' 334, beginning of the year until all gestation is fin- 



ished. Further to protect the nursing female seals, it will be neces- 

 sary to prohibit sealing within a zone extending at the very least 100 

 miles from the rookeries, in order that the females may be unmolested 

 while feeding, and even under such restrictions there is no doubt many 

 pups would die of starvation through the death of their mothers, which 

 would be killed outside the protected zone. This method of protection 

 I suggested to several owners and captains of the sealing vessels at 

 Victoria, who ail approved of the plan, naturally, to a certain extent, 

 from seltish reasons. In my own opinion, however, the most perfect 

 method of protecting the Alaska seal is to kill only the young bache- 

 lors, and as this discrimination can be made on shore alone, it natur- 

 ally restricts all killing to the Pribilof Islands. 



Owing to the steady decrease in fur-seal life of late years, due to the 

 large number of vessels hunting them at sea, it 

 Frank Korth, p. 235. is my opinion that in order to save the species 

 from extermination all pelagic hunting of fur- 

 seals should be prohibited and stopped absolutely. 



And believe that in order to preserve the species from actual and 

 speedy extermination all pelagic hunting should 



Jas. E. Lennan,]). 370. be stopped absolutely, and the waters of Bering- 

 Sea closed. 



I believe that in order to preserve fur-seal life it is necessary to ab- 

 solutely stop pelagic hunting and maintain a 



E. }Y.LUihj,jlui,p.\'n. dose season against killing for skins on the Prib- 

 ilof Islands. 



Think if all pelagic sealing was stopped the seal would become 

 plentiful again. If they keep on hunting them 

 j. D. McDonald, j».2G7. they win g00n be exterminated. 



I am fully convinced from my knowledge of seal matters that if this 

 indiscriminate and reckless destruction of the 



H. H. Mclntyre, p. 40. Pribilof seal herd continues as it has done in the 

 past six years in Bering Sea and the North Pacific, 

 the seals will be practically exterminated in a very few years, even if the 

 United States Government should not allow any seals to be taken on 

 the Pribilof Islands, for the destruction of females in the water has 

 reached a number that can not be met by the annual increase. 



In my judgment the seals should be protected in Bering Sea and the 

 North Pacific, and that pelagic sealing should be entirely prohibi ted in 

 the said waters. 



