CONTENTS 



Introduction '. 1 



Background 1 



Present treaty 1 



General distribution at sea 2 



Data collection 4 



Field procedure 4 



Laboratory procedure 4 



Fur seal feeding at sea 4 



Fishery resources significant to fur seals 6 



California 10 



Bering Sea 11 



Oregon 11 



Washington 12 



British Columbia 12 



Gulf of Alaska 12 



Western Alaska 13 



Principal forage species of fur seals 13 



California 13 



Northern anchovy 15 



Pacific whiting 16 



Market squid 16 



Pacific saury 18 



Rockfishes 18 



Jack mackerel 19 



Sablefish 20 



Oceanic squid 20 



Bering Sea 20 



Walleye pollock 22 



Capelin 23 



Atka mackerel 25 



Oceanic squids 26 



Pacific herring 27 



Deepsea smelts 29 



Pacific sand lance 29 



Greenland turbot 30 



Discussion and summary 31 



Acknowledgments 32 



Literature cited 33 



Appendix figures 1-13 36-48 



Appendix table 1 49 



Figures 



1 . The general ocean distribution and breeding islands of the northern fur seal 2 



2. Fur seal sightings in the North Pacific Ocean by Japan, Canada, and the United States, 1955-79 3 



3. General trends in the percentage of stomachs containing food in relation to time of collection 5 



4. Locations off California where northern fur seals were collected, 1 958-66 6 



5. Locations in the eastern Bering Sea where northern fur seals were collected, 1958-74 6 



6. The seven collection areas of northern fur seals, 1958-74 7 



7. Principal forage species of northern fur seals off California, 1958-66 9 



8. Principal forage species of northern fur seals in the eastern Bering Sea, 1958-74 9 



9. Principal forage species of northern fur seals off Washington, 1958-74 9 



10. Principal forage species of northern fur seals off British Columbia, 1958-72 10 



11. Principal forage species of northern fur seals in the Gulf of Alaska, 1958-68 10 



12. Principal forage species of northern fur seals in western Alaska, 1958-74 10 



13. Basic pattern for CalCOFI stations in survey areas off California and Baja California 14 



14. Commercial landings of forage species significant to northern fur seals off California 14 



15. Food web involving commercially important and abundant fish, birds, mammals, and squid 15 



16. Locations off California where northern fur seals were collected whose stomachs contained northern anchovy, 

 1958-66 15 



111 



