EFFECTS OF PELAGIC SEALING. 



175 



the voyage, the profit of the pelagic iuvestmeut is small. In fact, it is not a matter of 

 profit at all, but one of loss. The true nature of the business was plain in 1897, wheu 

 only 38 vessels as against 87 in 181tti engaged in sealing. 



PELAGIC SEALING A SUICIDAL INDUSTRY. 



This eftect of pelagic sealing upon itself is interesting and important. The true 

 character of the industry can be seen from the following tabulation of its product 

 under the regulations of the Paris award : 



I'elaijic valches, 1894-1897 . 



North- 

 west Coast. 



1894. 



1895. 



1896. 



i 1897. 



Bering 

 Sea. 



24,101 

 12, 122 

 14, 417 

 7,857 



31,585 



a 44. 169 



29,500 



16,464 



a In ISQ"' then' wero 59 vessels engaged in sealing, as against 37 in 1894. 



Not only is pelagic sealing a destructive and wasteful industry, but it is suicidal 

 in its nature. It is at best but an insignificant industry. It threaten.s the destruction 

 of vastlj' more important interests and with them its own interests. Pelagic sealing 

 preys upon its own capital. The more successful it is the (juicker will come its ruin. 

 Its bankrupt condition today is clearly .■^hown in the declining catch and the 

 withdrawal of its vessels. 



THE EFFECT OF THE DECLINING CATCH. 



As the business of pelagic sealing is, .so is the fur seal-skin trade. Pelagic sealing 

 has until this year in a measure supplied the deficiency occasioned by the decrease in 

 the land catch. The combined land and sea catches of 1897, however, number all told 

 only about 60,000 skins. The pelagic catch alone in 1894 furnished 140,000 skins. 



The uncertainty and especially the inadequacy of the supply of skins has seriously 

 affected the seal skin market, which as a result is badly demoralized. The ett'ect of 

 the shortage of supply in seal skins makes it necessary to substitute other furs. Tliis 

 tends to drive the seal skin out of fashion, as the substitute becomes itself fashionable. 

 Concerniug this phase of the question we may quote the words of one of the best 

 informed dealers in fur-seal skins who said in a recent interview: t 



The sial skiu will probably iicvtr jjo out of fasbion so long as the supply is fully adeiiuate to thn 

 (leinand. But if the supply were to be cut off or reduced too low, it would be necessary to supply tlio 

 demand from other furs aud seal skins would go out of fashion. What is worse, with tlie change of 

 fashion tlie men now employed in curing the skins would have to seek other lines of work and would 

 be lost to the business. When it was again attempted to bring the seal skin into fashion, it would be 

 necessary to train up a new set of men. For many years after the n-sumption of the curing of 

 seal skins the results would be so poor and unsatisfactory that they could not be sold to anyone 

 familiar with the present grade of skins. It is not likely therefore that, if the seal skin was lost to 

 fashion now, it could be Itrought back within the present generation. 



THE LEGALITY OF PELAGIC SEALING. 



Such is the nature of pelagic sealing, the sole cause of the threatened destruction 

 of the fur-seal herd, the sole obstacle which stands in the way of its restoration. 



