﻿GENEBAL 
  ADMINISTRATIVE 
  REPORT. 
  31 
  

  

  sea 
  otter 
  anywhere 
  in 
  Alaskan 
  waters 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  North 
  

   Pacific. 
  It 
  is 
  hoped 
  that 
  enough 
  individuals 
  are 
  left 
  to 
  reestablish 
  

   the 
  species 
  and 
  that 
  in 
  time 
  it 
  may 
  again 
  become 
  so 
  abundant 
  as 
  to 
  

   permit 
  a 
  large 
  annual 
  catch. 
  

  

  Rumors 
  have 
  been 
  heard 
  to 
  the 
  effect 
  that 
  last 
  \\dnter 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   Sannak 
  Island 
  natives 
  hunted 
  sea 
  otter, 
  but 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  

   law 
  they 
  let 
  the 
  skins 
  go 
  for 
  a 
  mere 
  pittance. 
  It 
  has 
  also 
  been 
  inti- 
  

   mated 
  that 
  under 
  the 
  guise 
  of 
  cattle 
  raising 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  netting 
  

   of 
  sea 
  otter 
  about 
  the 
  Sannak 
  Island 
  reefs, 
  even 
  to 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  

   moving 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  cattle 
  to 
  Caton 
  Island, 
  which 
  is 
  more 
  favorably 
  

   situated 
  in 
  some 
  respects 
  for 
  sea-otter 
  hunting, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  keep 
  

   people 
  in 
  ignorance 
  of 
  the 
  real 
  purpose 
  in 
  view. 
  

  

  The 
  Department 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  aware 
  of 
  any 
  violations 
  of 
  the 
  law 
  

   as 
  rumored, 
  but 
  hereafter 
  vigilant 
  watch 
  will 
  be 
  kept 
  of 
  this 
  region, 
  

   and 
  any 
  persons 
  caught 
  hunting 
  or 
  killing 
  sea 
  otter 
  will 
  be 
  prosecuted 
  

   to 
  the 
  fullest 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  law. 
  

  

  Early 
  this 
  year 
  the 
  idea 
  became 
  prevalent 
  in 
  the 
  Kodiak 
  region 
  

   that 
  it 
  had 
  become 
  lawful 
  for 
  natives 
  to 
  kill 
  sea 
  otter 
  with 
  bow 
  and 
  

   arrow, 
  and 
  that 
  a 
  special 
  tag 
  had 
  been 
  prepared 
  to 
  be 
  attached 
  to 
  

   all 
  skins 
  taken 
  in 
  this 
  manner. 
  This 
  idea 
  was, 
  of 
  course, 
  entirely 
  

   erroneous, 
  for 
  the 
  killing 
  of 
  sea 
  otter 
  is 
  absolutely 
  prohibited 
  in 
  the 
  

   Territory 
  of 
  Alaska, 
  in 
  the 
  waters 
  thereof, 
  or 
  on 
  the 
  high 
  seas 
  by 
  

   any 
  person 
  subject 
  to 
  the 
  jurisdiction 
  of 
  the 
  four 
  countries 
  named 
  

   in 
  the 
  convention 
  of 
  1911. 
  The 
  impression 
  regarding 
  a 
  special 
  tag 
  

   for 
  sea-otter 
  skins 
  probably 
  arose 
  from 
  some 
  misunderstanding 
  in 
  

   connection 
  ^vith 
  tho 
  tags 
  prepared 
  for 
  attachment 
  to 
  fur-seal 
  skins 
  

   lawfully 
  taken 
  on 
  the 
  high 
  seas 
  by 
  Indians, 
  Aleuts, 
  or 
  other 
  aborigines 
  

   dwelling 
  on 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Alaska. 
  

  

  Land 
  otter. 
  — 
  The 
  land 
  otter 
  occurs 
  on 
  Afognak 
  and 
  probably 
  on 
  

   all 
  of 
  the 
  adjacent 
  islands. 
  It 
  was 
  formerly 
  a 
  rather 
  abundant 
  animal 
  

   and, 
  by 
  some 
  reports, 
  is 
  still 
  quite 
  common. 
  One 
  person 
  reports 
  it 
  

   as 
  holding 
  its 
  own; 
  another 
  as 
  fairly 
  plentiful; 
  another 
  as 
  plentiful 
  

   on 
  Shuyak 
  Island, 
  scarce 
  on 
  Spruce 
  Island, 
  not 
  very 
  plentiful 
  on 
  

   Kodiak, 
  but 
  more 
  so 
  on 
  Afognak, 
  and 
  scarce 
  on 
  the 
  smaller 
  islands; 
  

   still 
  another 
  says 
  it 
  is 
  getting 
  scarcer; 
  and 
  another, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  

   trappers 
  on 
  Kodiak 
  Island, 
  reports 
  that 
  the 
  supply 
  is 
  growing 
  less. 
  

   The 
  land 
  otter 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  few 
  enemies 
  except 
  man. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  past 
  two 
  years 
  Inspector 
  Ball 
  has 
  traveled 
  extensively 
  

   over 
  Afognak 
  Island 
  and 
  has 
  given 
  much 
  attention 
  to 
  the 
  abundance 
  

   of 
  the 
  various 
  fur 
  animals. 
  In 
  a 
  report 
  made 
  in 
  November, 
  1913, 
  he 
  

   regards 
  the 
  land 
  otter 
  as 
  the 
  most 
  abundant 
  and 
  most 
  valuable 
  fur 
  

   animal 
  of 
  the 
  Afognak 
  Reservation. 
  Its 
  tracks 
  were 
  found 
  along 
  the 
  

   shores 
  of 
  every 
  lake 
  visited 
  and 
  in 
  several 
  places 
  on 
  the 
  ocean 
  beach. 
  

  

  The 
  land 
  otter 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  breed 
  in 
  this 
  region 
  in 
  May 
  in 
  holes 
  or 
  

   burrows 
  in 
  the 
  banks 
  or 
  near 
  streams 
  or 
  lakes, 
  and 
  to 
  have 
  an 
  average 
  

  

  