FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY. 105 



JAPANESE SEALSKINS DELIVERED TO UNITED STATES. 



The North Pacific Sealing Convention of July 7, 1911, provides 

 that in respect to fur-seal skins taken annually upon Robben Island, 

 or any other islands or shores of the waters covered by the conven- 

 tion subject to the jurisdiction of Japan, 10 per cent in number and 

 value shall be delivered to the United States. In 1918 the Japanese 

 take consisted of 555 skins. The same number were taken in 1919. 

 The share of the United States for the two years was, accordingly, 

 111 skins. These skins were forwarded to the Bureau's agents, 

 Funsten Bros. & Co., St. Louis, for sale. They arrived at St. Louis, 

 March 15, 1920. Examination of the skins showed that they had 

 been very carefully taken and cured. It is understood that the 

 take of Japanese skins in 1918 and 1919 all came from Robben Island. 



Information received informally from Mr. K. Ishino, of the Impe- 

 rial Bureau of Fisheries of Japan, indicates that there were on Robben 

 Island in 1919, between 11,000 and 12,000 seals, and that the 

 seals on the Kuril Islands have gradually decreased in the past four 

 or five years and have now almost disappeared. Mr. Ishino also 

 stated that when at the Commander Islands in 1916 he determined 

 that the Russian herd numbered about 50,000 animals. The Rus- 

 sian Government's report, however, claims only 30,000. In 1917 

 there were 800 seals killed on Copper Island, one of the Commander 

 group. Mr. Ishino stated that sea otters are increasing among the 

 Kuril Islands and that in 1919 he saw 300 and has reason to believe 

 that there are at least 500 there. He advised also that sea otters are 

 increasing about the Russian islands. 



