PAN-PACIFIC UNION BULLETIN 



15 



comprehensive study of the feeding 

 habits of whales and their relation to 

 the fisheries. The sardine fishermen of 

 Monterey Bay, as well as those in Nor- 

 way, claim that the whale? herd the sar- 

 dines inshore and are therefore bene- 

 ficial to the sardine fishery ; they there- 

 fore object to the killing of whales. 

 The whaling station at Moss Landing 

 on Monterey Bay offers exceptional fa- 

 cilities for investigation of this question. 

 As a matter of fact we know too little 

 about the relation of most of the forty 

 odd species of marine mammals to the 

 commercial fisheries to enable us to 

 advise intelligently as to laws for their 

 protection, regulation, or destruction. 



We do know that, because of the 

 great commercial value of their pelts, 

 the three species of fur seal and the 

 two of sea otter should be fully pro- 

 tected. We know that no more of any 

 of those species should be killed an- 

 nually than can be spared without in 

 the least militating against the main- 

 tenance of those valuable species at the 

 maximum number and efficiency. 

 Whether this statement can be made 

 regarding any others is doubtful. Some 

 of them, as the whales, have consider- 

 able commercial value. Others, as the 

 sea lions, have some commercial value. 

 Still others, as the dolphins and harbor 

 seals, possess as yet only slight com- 

 mercial value. What the effect on the 

 fisheries would be if their numbers 

 should greatly increase, or greatly de- 

 crease, can not safely be prevlicted ; 

 the known facts are not adequate for a 

 decided answer ; only long-continued, 

 painstaking investigation can tell us 

 what the answer will be. 



But of this on.e thing we can He very 

 sure, namely : none of these species 

 should be put in danger of extinction 

 or even serious diminution as to indi- 

 viduals until we do know whether, on 

 the whole, it is more harmful than use- 



ful. And if investigation should show 

 a species to be on the whole more 

 harmful than useful, even then we 

 should give that species some protec- 

 tion. We do not want any animal to 

 become extinct if we can help it. Even 

 enough rattlesnakes should be saved to 

 prevent the species from disappearing 

 from the earth. Pure natural history 

 has some rights that must be respected. 



Several very interesting and import- 

 ant animals have already been permit- 

 ted to become extinct, some directly 

 through man's activities, others through 

 his indifference. The North Pacific can 

 furnish more than one illustration of 

 this fact. The most interesting and 

 regretful is, perhaps, that of Steller's 

 Sea-Cow (Rytina gigas). This remark- 

 able animal was first discovered in 1741 

 by Captain Vitus Bering when his ship 

 was wrecked on the island which now 

 bears his name. George William Stel- 

 ler was the surgeon and naturalist of 

 Bering's ship and it is to him we owe 

 practically all we know about the sea 

 cow in life. 



At the time of its discovery this large 

 marine mammal was abundant about 

 Bering Island. Steller states that he 

 saw them in great herds feeding on the 

 kelp and other seaweeds that grow 

 luxuriantly in shallow water about the 

 Commander Islands. It was soon dis- 

 covered that the flesh was excellent hu- 

 man food and the men killed many of 

 them for that purpose. When, in 1743. 

 the news of the discovery of Bering 

 Island reached Kamchatka, several ex- 

 peditions were fitted out to hunt the 

 sea cow and the various fur-bearing 

 animals such as the sea otter, fur seal, 

 the blue fox which also were found 

 there ; and very soon whaling vessels 

 began to stop there to lay in a supply 

 of sea-cow meat for food. So great 

 was the destruction wrought by these 

 whalers and fur hunters that by 1754. 



