362 



The culling of the seals, which now number about 7,000, will be carried out 

 by the Ministry of Fisheries beginning next year. Killings will be carried out 

 at close range by pistol shots through the head. The action is approved by the 

 National Trust and other groups devoted to preserving wildlife. 



According to Nigel Bonner of the seals research unit of the National Environ- 

 ment Research Council, 21 percent of last year's seal calves born on the Islands 

 died, mainly because they lost contact with their mothers and starved to death. 

 The calves were unable to obtain milli, their only food for the first weeks of life. 



"The general picture now presented by the breeding grounds on the Fame 

 Islands at the height of the season is one of squalor," said Mr. Bonner. "The 

 carcasses of dead calves lie scattered on the mud and starving calves, many of 

 them covered with purulent wounds inflicted by aggressive cows, lie moribund 

 or sucking weakly at each other." 



In 19r>6 about 750 seals were born on the Islands, which have a total land area 

 of 80 acres. The number of births has increase<l in succeeding years, and last 

 year. 1,956 seals were born. Mr. Bonner said there was "no evidence" that, tho 

 number would stabilize if nature were allowed to take its course. 



[London "Daily Mail" May 26, 1971] 



Bid to Save Seals By Slaughter 



(By Harvey Elliott, Environment Reporter) 



A population explosion on an island owned by the National Trust could mean 

 death for thousands of seals. 



So many have been born on Fame Island in the past ten years that the adults 

 are now fighting each other for the space left available. 



And the death rate is rising rapidly among calves. 



Now the seal research unit of the Natural Environment Research Council is 

 recommending to the National Trust that they kill sufficient seals to ensure a 

 healthy breeding stock of acceptable size. 



The report will split the trust. When it bought Fame Island, off NortJiumber- 

 land, in 1925, it was designated as a bird sanctuary and seal population was 

 onlv a few hundred. 



But they multiplied rapidly under the protection of the trust and by 1960 were 

 becoming a menace to fishermen. 



In 1963 it was decided to kill 1..500 of the seals. But the cull was stopped after 

 350 had been killed because of the public outcry. 



In 191)0 there were 3,500 seals on the island. Today there are 7.000. 



According to the report many rare birds are being driven from the island. 



S?)il is being eroded and there is a disturbing development of aggressive 

 behaviour in the adult seals. 



Mr. Poser. Having placed on the record our industry's strong sup- 

 port for conservation in both principle and in practice, I would like 

 to briefly comment on the various bills which have been referred to 

 the committee and with which these hearings are concerned. I would 

 first like to make it clear that of the sea mammals covered by the bills 

 being considered by the committee, the fur industry's interest lies al- 

 most exclusively in the northern Pacific fur seals. 



We oppose H.R. 7555, the Ocean Mammal Protection Act of 1971, 

 Congressman Pryor's September 9 version of that act (H.R. 10569) 

 and all like proposals which would ban the harvest of ocean mam- 

 mals even when in oversupply or when at a level permitting a sustained 

 yield without diminishing the population stock. Such bills would un- 

 necessarily deny to man the use of an abundance or overabundance 

 of a natural animal resource. Furthermore, such bills would allow the 

 present Northern Pacific Seal Convention to expire. It would thus 

 open the door to ])elagic killing of northern Pacific fur seals, an ac- 

 tivity which would not onlv endanger but soon make extinct the popu- 

 lation of this specie which sound management over the past 60 years 

 has built to an optimum level permitting a sustained annual yield. 



