REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 233 



"Art. 1.3. "Wliile tlie ]>]-c.sent Re;;n]ations sliall Le strictly ohoycd by all ilinse 

 lf>l will) ar(; responsible for seal-hiiiitiu^, tliey can address thenisches to the 

 authorities to effect required auieuduients in case practical inconveniences 

 shall have been experienced." 



Year l)y year the use of gnus for killing seals having gradually increased, the 

 frightened seals escaped into distant ])laces, and began to tlock about the coast-lines 

 auii uear seas of the Island of Kunashir, where human beings were most seldom 

 found. Consequently, hunting quarters were established in the island, liunting 

 a!>|iaratuses newly su])])lied, Hii))crintending officers were sent and liunters engaged, 

 and the hunting business was started afresh. But here, again, people came and tixed 

 tiuiir iiunting quarters, and the arrival and dejjarture of Ixiats became frequent. 

 The decrease of seals naturally folio vv'ed, and foreign jjoachers also disappeared. 



In June 1879 a hunting depot was built at Iriribush, in the county of Furnbetsu, 

 Itrup. 



In May 1880 His Imperial Majesty's Consul at San Francisco repf)rted that a schooner 

 had left that port for the purpose of seal-hunting in the neighbouring seas of Itrup. 



On ol>serving the general aspect at this time, and comparing it with former years, 

 the number of seals caught was found to be on the decrease, and it is evident as a 

 matter of course that the more they are killed tin- fewer will be bred; while, year 

 after year, increased influx of foreign ])oacliers coin])eted inthe fishing, there being no 

 means of checking them outside the line of territorial limit fixed by international law. 

 Besides, as the foreigners did not in the least care about the decrease of breeding or 

 the extermination of the species, they freely used their guns in hunting, and, as the 

 result, they killed the greatest number. Thus ^^e Avere also obi iged to throw aside the 

 (dd instruments, such as clubs, bows and arrows, and gaffs, and to adopt the gnu, 

 .MS it would be most foolish to keep to tlie old system while letting others make the 

 greatest gain. Thus the use of guns is the main cause of the ])resent decrease. 



In February 1882, after Kaitakushi was abolished, seal fishery affairs were trans- 

 ferred to the Agricultural and Commercial Department, together with the superin- 

 tending officers, fishing implements, and everything connected witli the fisheries. 

 From this time the fishing was carried on by the authority of the above-mentioned 

 Department until 1887. And, in 1889, the "Dainippon Suisan Kaisha" (the Marine 

 Produce Company of the Empire of Japan) was given the exclusive permission of 

 lur ting seals and sea-otters; and the several Regulations in force at the present 

 time are as follows: 



"dkcrke no. 16. 



"May 23, 17Tn year of Mei.ii (1884). 

 "In future, the hnnting and catching of seals and sea-otters in Hokkaido is pro- 

 liibited; the offenders will be punished by 373rd clause of the Penal Code, and their 

 catches will be confiscated; but those who are in possession of tlie special permission 

 of the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce shall be exempted." 



"lMl'i:iiIAI. DECIIEE NO. 80. 



"December 16, 19th year of Mei.ii (1886). 



"REGUI,ATI0N.S controlling THK hunting, the IMPORTATION, AND THE .SALE OF 



SEALS ANi> si:a-otti;i:s and theii; raw hidk.s. 



"Article I. Any person who is in possession of the special permission of the Minister 

 of Agriculture and Commerce, pursuant to the Decree No. 16 of the 17th year of 

 Meiji (1884), shall be allowed to hunt and catch seals and sea-otters within such 

 area and season as may be fixed by Hokkaido Clio, provided that the person shall 

 always carry the special permit when he is engaged in hunting, and that wherever 

 he may be, on land or on water, he shall at once produce and show the same to the 

 sui)erintending officials or i)olice officers when they ask him to do so. 



"Art. 2. When any person engaged in seal and sea-otter hunting arrives in Hok- 

 kaido, he shall report the name of his boat, its tonnage, and the names of crew, to 

 the branch office named by the Hokkaido Cho, and shall always keej) fixed to the 

 mast, or other cons]»icuous part of the boat, a certain sign specially provided for 

 such hunting-boats. 



"Art. 3. Any person wishing to sell raw hides of seals or sea-otters shall first pre- 

 sent and have them stamped (branding stamps can be used) by the proper ofificers at 

 the branch office mentioned in Article 2. No hides without this official stamp shall 

 be allowed to be sold. 



"Art. 4. If any person who has imported into any port of the Empire, or anchored 

 in any ])ort having on board raw hides of seals or sea-otters, or had sold or is going 

 Ko sell these hides iu a market, be found out, the Customs authorities or the police 



