14 



increase of sea birds cannot by any system of protection 

 exceed by a certain proportion the number of fish in the sea. 

 We will adduce evidence later on to show that the scarcity 

 of fish in this case was probably not due to the increase of the 

 sea birds, but the occurrence seems to indicate that scarcity 

 of fish would be as fatal to the existence of the sea birds as to 

 the fishing industry and would result in their own destruction. 



The following statement on the subject from Captain 

 Jackson, late Superintendent of the Guano Islands, may be o{ 

 interest : — " Mortality among fish, birds and seals occurs at 

 certain periods on these coasts, but it is difficult to say in many 

 instances what is the cause. Amongst birds, penguins appear 

 to be more prone to disease than any other kind. We have 

 had considerable mortality among these birds from time to 

 time, the last of which occurred between two and three years 

 ago (1902-1903), when the penguins came out of the water and 

 dropped dead in large numbers." 



7. The excessive increase of Seals is another alleged cause 

 of a diminishing fish supply, and fishermen complain of this, 

 even more than of the protection and increase of sea birds. 

 Like the guano-producing sea birds, the seals are strictly 

 protected by Government. A few years ago, when the seals 

 had been protected for a number of years for a " knock down," 

 they had increased to enormous proportions and, even yet, 

 with a modified protection, they are very abundant (some 

 zealous, but ill-informed, people in England, who advocate 

 the protection of wild animals, state that the Cape seal is 

 nearly extinct). Under this system of protection, these in- 

 telligent animals become so bold as to avail themselves of the 

 fishing operations of the fishermen for a supply of fish. They 

 are especially troublesome at the Snoek season. Snoek are 

 powerful and rapid swimmers, and are probably not easily 

 captured by the unaided effort of the seal. When caught on 

 the fishing line, however, they are more or less hampered, and 

 the seals soon learn to know this and avail themselves of the 

 opportunity to seize and devour them. The fishermen were 

 prohibited by law from killing the seal, and the only way to 

 get rid of it legally was to come alongside of another boat, to 

 whicn it might then transfer its attention. Frequently 

 the fishermen had to come home in despair of getting rid of 

 the unwelcome company. 



At Seal Island, in Mossel Bay, the fishermen state that the 

 fish is so scarce in the vicinity of this seal-frequented rock that 

 it is useless to attempt any fishing in its neighbourhood. 



As in the case of sea birds, it is doubtful if increase in the 

 number of seals would be adequate to account for any grave 



