34 



INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



This survey of 1890, which declared at least 1,000,000 seals to 

 be in existence then on the Pribilof Island- rookeries, was approved 

 by the Joint Anglo-American Commission of 1891, and not disputed 

 by it. But, when Dr. Jordan came upon the ground in 1896-97, he, 

 and his associates, declared Elliott's work of 1890 to be "even worse 

 in its error than his survey of 1874"; Dr. Jordan then published an 

 ''accurate census of this herd" — "the first," ever, at which he left 

 it in 1897, being less in sum total than 380,000 seals of all classes. 



When Elliott closed his survey of 1890, August 1, only 16,000 

 seals had been killed on the Pribilof Islands, and the pelagic hunters 

 had taken from this herd during the entire season of 1890 only 

 25,746 seals. Then in 1891, 1892^ and 1893 following the modus 

 vivendi operated, which reduced the killing on the islands to less than 

 30,000 seals during that period and entirely eliminated the killing 

 in Bering Sea around those islands by the Canadian and American 

 pelagic fleet, which crossed over and fell upon the Russian herd. 



In 1894 the lessees were permitted to kill 15,000 seals; and again 

 in 1895 the same; while this pelagic fleet resumed its work in Bering 

 Sea, getting at least during 1894-1896 the equivalent of some 200,000 

 seals from our herd. So, when Dr. Jordan came upon this ground in 

 1896, there must have been fully as many seals in existence then 

 as when Elliott viewed them in 1S90. These animals had been 

 spared from harsh killing on land and in the sea, from 1890 to 1894, 

 so that they had at least held their own, while the killing of 1894 

 and 1895 had not cut them down much more than 100,000 below 

 the figures of 1890, which were about 1,000,000 males, females, and 

 young, in round numbers. 



that year, we have a relation of bachelors to the whole herd of 1 to 9. The following table will show the 

 various ratios for the years mentioned: 



Ratio of bachelors in certain years. 



Year. 



Bachelors 

 killed. 



Whole 

 herd. 



Bachelors 

 released. 



Ra:tio of 



catch to 



whole herd. 



1897 



20, 766 

 13, 12S 

 14,368 



14,331 



402,850 

 243, 103 

 223, 009 

 133,000 





1 to 20. 



1904 



2, 054 

 2,174 

 2,000 



1 to 16. 



1905 



1 to 14. 



1809 



1 to 9. 







This would show that the ratio which the catch of bachelors bears to the whole herd has changed from 

 1 to 20 in 1897 to 1 to 9 in 1909. 



The percentage of bachelors dismissed from the killing field in 1897 was 41 per cent; in 1904, 44 per cent; 

 in 1905, 40 per cent ; and in 1909, 32 per cent. This shows that killing in 1909 was 9 per cent of these males; 

 the reserve has fallen steadily to 4,000 rejections in 1909, including those among the marked bachelors. 

 Its steady diminution during 'this period apparently indicates that to maintain the quota at a stable figure 

 this reserve had to be drawn upon more heavily every succeeding year; or, conversely, the rejections each 

 year became fewer in order to secure the quota". It certainly is true that a steady but gradual reduction 

 occurred in the number of bachelors rejected, and had such reduction not been "made the quota would 

 have suffered. 



The reduction of this reserve will make it a matter of difficulty to secure a quota in 1910 approaching 

 in sizo that of 1909. With fewer of the older animals to draw upon, dependence will be had mainly upon 

 the young or 3-year-olds. With the chance that there will be fewer of these than in 1909, it would "appear 

 problematical whether enough can be found to equal or approach the catch of 1909. 



The proportion which the pelagic catch bears to the whole herd has changed also. In 1897 the pelagic 

 catch, 24,321, bore the same relation to the whole herd, 402,850, as 1 to 16. In 1908 it was as 1 to 8 

 (IS, 151:146,636). From this it would seem that the pleagic sealers are killing twice as many seals in 

 proportion as they did 11 years ago. This is another singular fact in connection with the subject, showing 

 that conditions at the present time differ entirely from previous years. 



It may be that by the methods of estimationused, the number in the whole herd in recent years has 

 been placed too low, or, rather, that there are more seals in the herd than are given in the estimates or 

 censuses. It is either in this possibility or the one already mentioned — that the mortality among pups 

 is less than hitherto — that the cause of this change of relation of bachelor catch to the whole herd must 

 bo sought. (Appendix A, pp. 763-764, June 24, 1911, House Committee on Expenditures in the Depart- 

 ment of Commerce and Labor.) 



