32 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



THE UTILIZATION OF THE SEA LION 



By C. H. Townsend. 



IN THE November number of the Bulletin, 

 considerable space was devoted to a con- 

 sideration of the sea lion in its relation to 

 the fishery industries. The article was largely 

 a review of a report emanating from the Bio- 

 logical Board of Canada. Among the recom- 

 mendations made in the report was the com- 

 mercial utilization of the sea lion, rather than 

 wasteful slaughter through the payment of 

 bounties. 



The article published in the Bulletin was 

 sent by the writer to many officials connected 

 with Canadian and American fishery depart- 

 ments, with the following additions, suggesting 

 that the young of the sea lion be used rather 

 than the adults: 



"The sea lion yields the same products as the 

 harp seal and should be valued accordingly. 



"The Newfoundland sealing industry which 

 has been maintained for more than 100 years, 

 is based on the harji seal (Phoca groenlandiea). 

 This is probably the most abundant of any spe- 

 cies of seal and has a wide distribution in the 

 north. It is taken by the Newfoundland seal- 

 ing fleet upon the ice floes about Newfoundland. 

 The average annual take of harp seals for 100 

 years has exceeded 200.000. The sealers land 

 upon the ice and kill the young. More than 

 ninety per cent, of the total catch consists of 

 young seals less than three weeks old. The 

 old seals cannot be secured in large numbers, as 

 they take to the water when disturbed. More- 

 over, they are protected by law. 



"All sealing is done during the months of 

 March and April, before the young are old 

 enough to enter the water. The products util- 

 ized are hides and oil. the blubber being strip- 

 ped with the skin. 



"After 100 years of this kind of sealing, under 

 proper government regulation of course, it ap- 

 pears that the young can still be taken in about 

 the usual numbers. The killing of adult seals 

 is prohibited. 



"It may be possible to utilize the sea lion in 

 the same way — that is, by taking the young in- 

 stead of the mature animals. 



"The sea lion breeds on small islands, and 

 when disturbed takes to the water, leaving the 

 young, which cannot swim, behind. Shooting 

 them on the rocks is impracticable as all but 

 the nursing young soon leave. It is useless to 

 shoot them in the water, as the bodies sink. 



The young, however, can easily be herded to- 

 gether and killed without waste. 



"The proportion of young which might safely 

 be taken annually from each breeding rookery, 

 could be ascertained, and the season for taking 

 them should be just before they learn to swim. 

 As the sea lion is polygamous the bulk of the 

 catch might well consist of males. There is 

 little doubt that the skin and oil of the young 

 sea lion would be as valuable as those of the 

 young harp seal, although not obtainable, in 

 such prodigious numbers." 



Several letters have been received, comment- 

 ing on the proposition to utilize the sea lion 

 by taking the young only, from which the fol- 

 lowing are extracted: 



Some use should be made of the sea lions, as a 

 reasonable killing each year should not unduly reduce 

 their numbers. Your suggestion that killing be limit- 

 ed to the pups seems to me to have a great deal to 

 recommend it. 



Wm. A. Found, 

 Canadian Fisheries Service. 



I am very much impressed by your recommenda- 

 tion that if it is necessary to keep the sea lions in 

 check, the taking of the young would be the most 

 ready and economical way of meeting the situation. 

 E. E. Prince. 

 Dominion Commissioner of Fisheries. 



Your proposal to utilize the sea lion population on 

 a commercial basis by gathering a reasonable propor- 

 tion of the young on the rookeries each year, strikes 

 me as altogether sound on a biological basis. 

 J. Grinnell. 

 Museum, of Vertebrate Zoology, 

 University of California. 



Almost any arrangement would improve existing 

 conditions. Any means by which the support of the 

 State interests can be gained for utilization and regu- 

 lation of the sea lion would be a great step in advance. 

 T. S. Palmer, 

 In Charge of Game Conservation. 



U. S. Biological Survey. 



I am in entire accord with you as to the desira- 

 bility of making the sea lion the basis of a legitimate 

 industry and of discouraging the ruthless slaughter 

 and waste of valuable material thereby. 



H. M. Smith. 

 U. S. Commissioner of Fisheries. 



Others, in replying, commented on the diffi- 

 culty of making such a fishery remunerative, 

 owing to the inaccessibility of many of the 

 breeding places of sea lions and the great extent 

 of coast along which they are scattered. 



The present writer is, however, personally 

 acquainted with a score or more of sea lion 



