167 Consideration of Statements put forward by the 

 United States bearing upon the Question of the 

 necessity for Eegulations. 



CHAPTER X. 



Date and Amount of the observed Decrease in the Number of Seals. 



The United States Contentions. 



(1.) United States Case, p. 164 — 



"Under this careful management of the United States Government the seal herd 

 on the Pribilof Islands increased in numbers, at least up to the year 1881." 

 (2.) United States Case, p. 165 — 

 "From the year 1880 to the year 1884-85, the condition of the rookeries showed 

 neither increase nor decrease in the number of seals on the islauds. In 1884, 

 however, there was a perceptible decrease noticed in the seal herd at the islands, 

 and in 1885 the decrease was marked in the migrating herd as it passed up along 

 the American coast, both by the Indian hunters along the coast and by white 

 seal hunters at sea. Since that time the decrease has become more evident from 

 year to year, both at the rookeries and in the waters of the Pacific Ocean aud 

 Behring Sea." 

 (3.) United Sintes Case, p. 296— 



"That this decrease began with the increase of such jjelagic sealing, and that 

 the extermination of this seal herd will certainly take place in the near future." 

 (4.) United States Case, p. 185 — 



"The decrease in the seal herd has thus been proportionate to the increase of the 



sealing fleet." 



Summary of British Reply. 



It is admitted that a decrease in seals on aud about the Pribyloff Islands has occurred 



as a result of excessive l<illing, but it is aftirnied that the date assigned by the 



United States for the beginning of such decrease is incorrect, and that the 



amount is exaggerated. 

 The decrease had reached siich proportions on the islands as to necessitate new 



measures, in order to ol)tain the "quota" of 100,000, as early as 1879; and its 



progress had become still more marked in 1883. 

 The decrease began long before ])elagic sealing had assumed any importance, and 



before any pelagic sealers had entered, or even approached Behring Sea. 

 The attempt to connect the date of the first decrease with that of an increase of 



l)elagic sealing fails, even when examined in the light of the contentions 

 advanced l)y the L'nited States. 

 168 No trustworthy numerical data exist to ]irove the amount of decrease on the 

 Pribylotf Islands, and the evidence relied on by the United States to prove 



its great proportions is incorrect or inconclusive. 

 There has been no decrease of seals at sea corresponding with that found on the 



Pribylotf Islands, the number at sea having proportionately, if not actually, 



increased in late years; an eliect 2)robably due to the disturbance incident to 



killing on the islauds. 



146 



