192 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



as I might obtain- whether or iiot, in my opinion, the seals were dimin- 

 ishin g on the Pribilof Islands ; and if so, the causes therefor. As a result 

 of such investigation, I found, from the statements made to me by the 

 natives, Government agents, and employees of the lessees, some of whom 

 had been on the islands for many years, that a decrease in the number 

 of seals had been gradually going on since 1885, and that in the last 

 three years the decrease had been very rapid. A careful and frequent 

 examination of the hauling grounds and breeding rookeries by myself 

 and assistant agents during the months of June, July, and August 

 showed that the seals had greatly diminished in number. We found 

 large vacant spaces on all the rookeries, which in former years during 

 these months had been covered by thousands of seals. Prior to 1888 

 the lessees had been able to take 100,000 skins from male seals, but I 

 am clearly of the opinion that not more than one-third of that number 

 of merchantable skins can be taken during the year 1891. (W. H. 

 Williams.) 



DECREASE OF SEALS. 



Management of rookeries not the cause. 



In studying the causes of diminution of seal life, there were found a 

 variety of actual and possible sources of destruction which are effective 

 in varying degrees. Fortunately, the most important of these sources 

 were directly under my observation, and the following facts presented 

 themselves for consideration: The restrictions upon the molestation of 

 the breeding grounds and upon the killing of females has been impera- 

 tive both on the part of the Government and lessees since the American 

 ownership of the islands, so that in the taking of seals no injury could 

 possibly have occurred to the females and bulls found thereon. For 

 some years past the natives were permitted to kill in the fall a few thou- 

 sand male pups for food. Such killing has been prohibited. It is not 

 apparent how the killing of male pups could have decreased the number 

 ot females on the breeding grounds. (J. Stanley-Brown.) 



If the seals were as numerous to-day on the Pribilof Islands and the 

 manner of driving and killing conducted in the same manner as during 

 my experience there, 100,000 male seals of from 2 to 4 years of age could 

 be taken from the hauling grounds annually for an indefinite period 

 without diminution of the seal herd. (Charles Bryant.) 



Because of the manner of killing seals on the islands, the precautions 

 taken to kill only males from 2 to 5 years, and the careful limitation of 

 the numbers taken, I am fully convinced that the taking of seals on the 

 Pribilof Islands could never affect the numbers of the seal herd or 

 deplete the rookeries. (S. EC. Buynitsky.) 



I was in the employ of the Alaska Commercial Company, the former 

 lessees of the seal islands, and their instructions were to use the utmost 

 care in taking their quota of seals, so that there might be no diminution 

 in number from year to year, and I personally know those instructions 

 were rigidly enforced. (Leander Cox.) 



If no other agency is at work in destroying seal life, 100,000 bachelor 

 seals can be taken from the Pribilof Islands yearly for an indefinite 

 period, provided the rookeries were in the same condition they were in 

 1871. Of this I am convinced from the fact that the seals continued 

 to increase during all the time I was upon the islands, when 100,000 

 were killed every year except one, when 95,000 were taken. (Samuel 

 Falconer.) 



