CONCLUSIONS. 229 



VI.-CONCLUSIONS. 



SUMMARY. 



To gain a clear understanding of the fur-seal question, in so far as it relates to 

 the Eussian Seal Islands, it may be well to sum up the essential points as follows: 



The topographical character of the rookeries on Bering Island and on Copper 

 Island are essentially different. On the former the grounds are low and accessible, 

 and the drives are unusually easy, involving but little hardship on the seals, even 

 compared with the rookeries on St. Paul Island, Pribilof group. On Copper Island, 

 however, the rookeries are situated at the base of high precipices, very difficult of 

 access, and the drives, from the mountainous nature of the island, are as harsh and 

 trying as it is possible to imagine. 



tfotwithstanding this difference in the topography, the conditions of seal life on 

 the rookeries were practically alike on both islands previous to, during, and some 

 time after my first visit to the islands in 1882-83. It is an indisputable fact that the 

 seals were increasing markedly in number during that period on both islands. 



Of late years the seals have been rapidly decreasing on both islands, the 

 decrease corresponding to the same phenomenon on the Pribilof Islands, but taking 

 place proportionately about five years later on an average. 



When I again visited the islands, in 1895, 1 found the conditions of seal life on 

 the rookeries had so changed as to radically differ on the two islands. On Bering 

 Island, in addition to a marked decrease in killables, there was a notable scarcity of 

 old bulls, while the decrease in breeding females was less apparent. On Copper 

 Island,. while the number of killables was small, sexually mature male seals were, on 

 the contrary, plentiful, and at the same time the number of females had decreased 

 enormously. 



Prior to 1892 the Commander Islands seals had suffered but little from pelagic 

 sealing in general and practically nothing from preying upon the feeding grounds of 

 the female seals, at the very time when the Pribilof Island sealing grounds were 

 being rapidly exhausted. 



Since 1892 the whole body of the pelagic sealing fleet has preyed, during the 

 most precarious season of seal life, largely upon the female seals visiting the feeding 

 grounds oif Copper Island. 



An unusual mortality of starving seal pups has not been observed until last year 

 on Bering Island, but the natural conditions of the Copper Island rookeries are such 

 as to make It easy to overlook such a fact. 



The 30-mile zone stipulated in the Russian-British arrangement of 1893 has only 

 put a stop to the raiding of the rookeries, but has b"een found utterly valueless as a 

 protective measure against pelagic sealing. 



The rookeries of the Commander Islands will become exhausted within a few 

 years if the present conditions are allowed to continue much longer. 



