TESTIMONY RELATING TO HAIRSEALING IN THE NORTH 

 ATLANTIC 



Deposition of Jmncs G. Joy, sealer {master). 



hairsealing in north atlantic. 



United States Consulate, 

 St. Johns, Neicfo midland, June 20, 1892. 



Personally appeared before me, Thomas N". Molloy, consul of the 

 United States of America for Newfoundland, James Glavine Joy, mas- 

 ter mariner of St. Johns aforesaid, who being duly sworn before me 

 upon his oath says : 



I have been twenty-four years prosecuting' the seal fisliery on the 

 coast of Newfoundland, Labrador, and Gulf of St. ^^ ^^.^^^ 

 Lawrence, nine years of whict I have commanded a ^vmcwe. 

 steamer. 



I iim opposed to second trips to the seal fishery, as I ukefy'trdestroyVhe 

 consider they are calculated to destroy the species, as species. 

 all the seals killed on such trips are old and mature soventy-five per 

 seals and at least 75 per cent of them are female seals. tSps females"" ^"'^^ ' 



I am now speaking of harp-seals, they are principally ^^^^^^^ ij^r seals 

 shot on the ice, but when the ice packs they are killed "" *"^ larpsea s. 

 with bats. When shot on open or floating ice a large number of them 

 escape into the water and die from bleeding. 



I should say that for every seal shot and captured three escape 

 wounded, to die in the water. I have seen ten seals on 

 one pan shot and wounded and all escaped. To kill 

 and capture the seal, the bullet must lodge in the head; if it strikes 

 any part of the body the seal will manage to get to the edge of the 

 pan and escape into the water. I know from my own knowledge that 

 the number of seals brought in on second trips is yearly decreas- 

 ing, and that the fishery is being depleted by the pros- 

 ecution of this trip. Apart from tbe number of old, 

 mature, and female seals destroyed, the hunting necessary for their 

 capture prevents the male and female coming together as soon as tbey 

 otherwise would, and makes the whole species more wary and more 

 difficult to capture each year, so much so that even at a distance of 

 from 4 to 5 miles, the smoke of a steamer blowing over ^ . ,. , 



,, . . ,1 T ',. „ , , , .,, ., V Keen scent of seals. 



the ice m the directn^n of the seals will cause them imme- 

 diately to leave the ice and take to the water. 



On the first trip a good many seals are shot in the water as at that 

 season of the year, the month of March, they are fat jy-^^^^^^^^ ^^^tween 

 and will float, but on the second trip in April they are hunting on first and 

 seldom fired at in the water, for if shot they immedi- second trips. 

 diately sink; except you are very close to them and very quick you 

 can not secure one of them. 



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