THE RESCUED FUR SEAL INDUSTRY 



AT the St. Louis fur auction held on February 2, 1920, 

 there were sold for the United States Government 9,100 

 skins of fur seals, the net proceeds of which were $1,182,- 

 905, an average of $140.98 per skin. 



That sale marks an important period in the history of 

 the most practical and financially responsive wild life con- 

 servation movement thus far consummated in the United 

 States. In 1911 one of the stakes set by the advocates of 

 the five-year close season was a return to a revenue of at 

 least "$1, 000,000 per year," and now it is no exaggeration 

 to say that the results of the long close season that began 

 in 1912 and ended in 1917 have been everything that the 

 close-season advocates claimed that they would be. 



The steady and very rapid increase in the fur seal popu- 

 lation of the Pribilof Islands during their five years of 

 immunity from commercial slaughter is revealed by the 

 following official census figures as made by the United 

 States Department of Commerce, and kindly furnished by 

 Secretary Alexander. 



In 1912 there were 215,738 seals of all ages. 

 In 1913 there were 268,305 seals of all ages. 

 In 1914 there were 294,687 seals of all ages. 

 In 1915 there were 363,872 seals of all ages. 

 In 1916 there were 417,281 seals of all ages. 

 In 1917 there were 468,692 seals of all ages. 

 In 1918 there were 496,432 seals of all ages. 

 In 1919 there were 530,237 seals of all ages. 



The total number of fur seals killed for their skins since 

 the open season began have been as follows: 



