128 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



foundland Seal Fishery, and to Mr. David Bruce and Mr. Kinnes, 

 of Dundee, for general information with regard to the Davis Straits 

 and Greenland Whale Fishery ; the frequent mention of Capt. D. 

 and Mr. Eobert Gray will show how much I owe to their kindness. 



INJURIES TO THE FISHERIES IN THE BALTIC 



BY SEALS.* 



By Mr. Hinckelmann, 

 Royal Superintendent of Fisheries. 



The constantly increasing number of Seals on our Baltic 

 coasts has become so serious a danger to our coast fisheries, 

 that it appears high time to find ways and means to keep these 

 injurious animals away from our shores. Ten or fifteen years 

 ago, when our fishermen still underrated their destructiveness, 

 and at best were amused to see one of them, it was hardly thought 

 possible that these animals would one day endanger the fisheries 

 on the coast of Schleswig-Holstein, where they formerly appeared 

 only in small numbers and at places where there was not much 

 chance of their injuring the fisheries. 



Those fiords suffer most where Cod fisheries are carried on 

 with nets and bow-nets during the months of October, November, 

 and December. The damage done to the fisheries by Seals in 

 Eckernforde and Neustadt alone is very considerable, as they fre- 

 quently tear about a hundred nets in one day. Unfortunately 

 the fishermen are very slow in making such cases public, and 

 bringing them to the knowledge of persons interested. 



Hunting Seals on our east coast has so far had little or no 

 result. This sport offers too few attractions, for the Seal when 

 mortally wounded invariably sinks to the bottom, where, at least 

 in deep water it cannot be reached. It might be said that the 

 purpose is fully answered if the Seals are killed. But who will 

 do this ? There is no use in the fishermen carrying firearms, as 

 they have often done, because they can engage in Seal-hunting in 

 time left over from their proper employment. Moreover, firearms 

 are rather in the way in a boat where fishing is being carried on, 

 because there is constant danger that the crew will come in 



* ' Schadigungen der Fischerei in der Ostee durch Seehunde.' (Mittheil. 

 ungen des Deutschen Fischerei-Vereins, 1886.) Translated from the German 

 by Hessian Jacobson. Bull, U.S. Fish Commission, 1887. 



