REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 41 
PROTECTION OF WALRUS AND SEA LION. 
Pursuant to the provisions of the act of May 31, 1920, which trans- 
ferred to the Department of Commerce the jurisdiction heretofore 
exercised by the Department of Agriculture with respect to the 
walrus and the sea lion in Alaska, the Secretary of Commerce ap- 
proved a new set of regulations governing the killing of these animals 
within the territorial limits of Alaska, and in a circular issued under 
date of April 21, 1921, promulgated the regulations and quoted from 
the Alaska game law approved May 11, 1908, extracts in regard to the 
walrus and the sea lion. The new regulations are as follows: 
WALRUSES. 
1. The killing of walruses for their tusks or hides, or both, is prohibited as 
being wanton destruction within the meaning of the act of May 11, 1908. 
2. The killing of walruses at their breeding places in Alaska is prohibited at 
all times. 
3. The killing of walruses throughout the territorial limits of Alaska is pro- 
hibited from May 1, 1921, to April 30, 1923, both dates included, except by 
natives for food or clothing or by miners or explorers when in need of food. 
SEA LIONS. 
1. The killing of sea lions on their rookeries or hauling-out grounds is pro- 
hibited at all times. 
2. The killing of sea lions is prohibited from May 1, 1921, to April 30, 1928, 
except by natives for food or clothing, or by miners or explorers when in need 
of food, or by anyone in the necessary protection of property, or while such 
animals are actually engaged in the devastation of runs of salmon. The killing 
of sea lions under any other circumstances than the foregoing will be deemed 
wanton destruction and punishable as a violation of this order. 
NEW LEGISLATION NEEDED. 
The act of June 26, 1906, which provides for the regulation and 
protection of the fisheries of Alaska, is obsolete in some of its fea- 
tures and in general is quite inadequate to meet the conditions that 
have existed for a number of years. The law is practically re- 
stricted to the salmon fishery, which, under its operation, has become 
so extensive that the salmon supply in certain waters has been seri- 
ously depleted and the future welfare of the industry and of the 
Territory is jeopardized. The law imposes no limit on the number 
of canneries and salteries that may be established and operated, the 
number of fixed and floating traps that may be constructed, the 
number of purse seines, haul seines, set and drift nets that may be 
used, the number of trolling boats and trolling lines that may be 
employed, the number and age of salmon that may be caught. Vari- 
ous restrictive features of the law have long since proved ineffective 
to prevent the capture of an undue proportion of the run of salmon 
in certain waters, and fishing operations in full compliance with 
law may be entirely incompatible with the welfare of the fishery. 
One of the most serious defects of the law is its failure to give 
sufficient protection to salmon off the mouths of spawning streams. 
The maximum distance from the mouth of a stream to which the 
jurisdiction of the Department extends is 500 yards. It is entirely 
