56 FISHEEIES OF ALASKA IN 1910. 



latter one of the Trinity Islands) in central Alaska, and the season is 

 from about May 15 to September 1, depending largely upon the state 

 of the weather. This year the weather was very rough and as a 

 result there were only about four days of actual hunting throughout 

 the whole season. The Everett Hays secured 4 skins, while the 

 Elvira took 12, a total of 16. 



A few natives living at Kayak this year hunted for sea otter off 

 Cape St. Elias and on June 7 shot two and on June 15 one. These 

 skins were sold at the near-by town of Katalla. 



Mr. Nils Christensen, of Cold Bay, on the Alaska Peninsula, hunts 

 sea otters in winter along the reefs offshore, but secured nothing last 

 winter. The same was true of Mr. Charles Rosenberg, who patrols 

 a stretch of some 30 miles of beach on the Bering Sea side of Uni- 

 mak Island on the lookout for dead sea otter winch may be washed 

 ashore. 



This summer a native killed a sea otter near the Naknek River in 

 Bristol Bay, where they are very rarely to be found. One was also 

 killed in the neighborhood of Unga Island in central Alaska. 



The Canadian sealing fleet again- devoted a considerable part of 

 its energies to the hunting of sea otter off Chirikof Island. The 

 schooner Thos. F. Bayard secured two, while the Pescawlia secured 

 seven. 



Several vessels from the Japanese sealing fleet also engaged in sea 

 otter hunting, but with what success we are unable to state, owing 

 to their secretiveness in such matters. 



FUR SEAL. 



The only place on the coast of Alaska which maintains a fur-seal 

 fishery is Sitka. In April and May the herd passes Baranof Island, 

 on which Sitka is located, on its way to the Pribilof Islands in Bering 

 Sea, to breed. About the middle of April the native hunters, who 

 are the only persons permitted to engage in the work, with their 

 families, leave for the hunting grounds and establish their camps on 

 Tava, Wrangell, and Biorka Islands, small islands a few miles from 

 Sitka. 



This year 10 boat parties had their headquarters on Biorka Island, 

 four on Wrangell Island, and 18 on Tava Island. Each boat party 

 is composed of from 3 to 5 men, and these use sailboats costing 

 about $130 each. Repeating shotguns, costing from $25 to $35 each, 

 are the only weapons used. The hunting is done in the open ocean, 

 and the boats from the various camps cover an area of from 35 to 50 

 miles directly out from shore and about the same distance up and 

 down the coast. Good weather is essential, and in 1910 the natives 

 were unfortunate, bad weather being frequent, with the result that 

 the catch was very small. 



