46 REPOKT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 



(ii. )—Ii(strictioii in the Kiiviher of Seals taken. 



151. We are of opinion that to be elfective and suited to the exist- 

 ing conditions and to the interests at i)resent involved, any system of 

 measures for regulating the numljer and kind of seals taken should 

 include provisions of the following kinds: 



{a.) The strict limitation of the number of seals killed on the breed- 

 ing islands to a safe maximum, the number and kiud of seals to be 

 adjusted within the limit of this maximum, from year to year if found 

 necessary, in accordance with the actually observed state of the breeding- 

 rookeries in each year. 



(/>.) The institution of a zone of j)rotected waters surrounding the 

 breeding islands. 



(c.) The establishment of a close time, such as to limit the period of 

 hunting at sea, and so devised as in particular to safeguard the seals 

 during that portion of the sjiring (covering the earlier part of the seal- 

 ing voyages as now made) in which a certain i)roportion of gravid 

 females is taken. 



15U. One or other of these provisions for the limitation of sea sealing 

 should be subject to modification in area or time respectively, in such 

 manner as to check any tendency to excessive killing at sea, to allow 

 for exceptionally unfavourable breeding seasons, and, in general, to 

 correspond with any marked increase or decrease found to occur in the 

 number of seals. 



153. It is suggested that such comi^ensatory changes in the degree of 

 stringency of regulative measures shall be made to depend upon the 

 number fixed for killing on the breeding islands in each year, so that if 

 it be found necessary or advisable to change this ruling number at any 

 time, the degree of stringency of the regulations apx)lied at sea may 

 be proportionately increased or diminished. 



154. A compensatory i)rinciple of this kind should absolutely remedy 

 (if not in each individual year, at least in the average of years) any 

 possible want of efficiency in the general scheme of measures, remov- 

 ing any doubt which may be supposed to attach to the proper control 

 of sealing at sea, which it is not jjossible to regulate on an exact 

 numerical basis. 



25 (B.) — Specific ^Scheme of Regulations recommended. 



155. In view of the actual condition of seal life as it jiresents itself 

 to us at the present time, we believe that the requisite degree of pro- 

 tection would be aftbrded by the application of the following specific 

 limitations at shore and at sea: 



{((.) The maximum number of seals to be taken on the Pribyloff 

 Islands to be fixed at 50,000. 



(b.) A zone of protected waters to be established, extending to a dis- 

 tance of 20 nautical miles from the islands. 



(c.) A close season to be provided, extending from the 15th Septem- 

 ber to the 1st May in each year, during which all killing of seals shall 

 be prohibited, with the additional i)rovision that no sealing- vessel shall 

 enter Behring Sea before the 1st July in each year. 



156. liespecting the compensatory feature of such specific regula- 

 tions, it is believed that a just scale of equivalency as between shore 

 and sea sealing would be found, and a complete clieck established 

 against any undue diminution of seals, by adojDting the following as a 

 unit of compensatory regulation : 



