428 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
IJUNE I, 1901. 
Sea Lions as Fish Destroyers. 
We reprinted from Science last week a letter from Dr. 
C. Hart Merriain. in which it was sought to be shown 
that the sea lion did not destroy fish and that the warfare 
waged upon the sea lion by tlie California Fish Commis- 
sion was unwarranted. On the other hand, the California 
Fish Commissioners contend that the fish-eating habits of 
the sea lion are well established facts, and that the fishery 
interests of California demand a reduction of the sea 
lions. The following passages, from a letter addressed 
by the California Commission to Commissioner George 
M. Bowers, give the views of the Commissioners and of 
such authorities as Dr. David Starr Jordan, Dr. Charles 
H. Gilbert and others : 
All of the protestants have declared to the Treasury 
Department that this Board was proceeding unwisely and 
upon assumption rather than upon fact. They took the 
liberty of so declaring without inquiry of us in any re- 
spect, notwithstanding the accessibility of this office, not- 
withstanding that we are at all times ready to give such 
information in justification of any policy we may adopt, 
and notwithstanding that the courtesy of such inquiry 
was, in all conscience, due to us. 
The sea lion question has been a burning issue in fish- 
ery circles in this State for more than twenty years. 
These animals have increased greatly in numbers during 
ihe past fifteen years, owing to the fact that they are no 
longer killed for commercial purposes. Prior to 1884, or 
thereabouts, vessels were outfitted at this port for sea lion 
hunting. They were then taken for their hides, oil and 
trimmings, and the industry was profitable; the oil, how- 
ever, has now fallen in value; the skins, which were used 
for belting and kindred purposes, have been supplanted 
by other textures, and the pursuit of the animal is no 
longer profitable. When they were so hunted and de- 
stroyed for commercial purposes, there was no outcry 
in the land by biologists, scientists or others, upon the 
ground that another form of marine life was being exter- 
minated, nor is there now any greater reason for such 
scientific distress. 
The non-molestation of these animals has resulted, as 
^.aforesaid, in their great increase, and they have become 
the most cunning and destructive of sea robbers. It is 
utterly useless for men to talk of scientific examinations of 
the stomach contents, etc. The bold, bald fact stands 
forth before us every day that this animal pursues the 
salmon schools through the Golden Gate, through San 
Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun bays, clear to the rail- 
way bridge at the city of Sacramento, more than one 
hundred miles from the ocean shore. They are voracious 
and destructive to the last degree. It is estimated by 
the fishermen upon the rivers and the salmon canners that 
from twenty to forty per cent, of the fish entering the 
bays are destroyed by this means. They enter the nets 
of the fishermen and take the fish already gilled. They 
tear and destroy the nets, and cause irreparable damage 
to the hardy and industrious fishermen. They are seen 
every day during the salmon run with fish in their jaws, 
and almost no net is hauled that does not show a large 
percentage of fish destroyed by these animals. It is $0 
now that the fishermen when laying out their nets must 
patrol them from end to end as they drift Avith the cur- 
rent or the tide, armed with Winchester rifles to protect 
the nets from the depredations of these beasts. 
The situation has become intolerable. Our patrolmen 
* upon the rivers early this year reported the devastation 
of these animals to be more than ordinarily excessive, 
and the cannery men and fish dealers also protested to us. 
Petitions, signed by every licensed fisherman in these 
waters, were presented to "us, praying for our interven- 
tion for their relief. 
Before undertaking any action, and in order to give all 
sides of the question a fair hearing, this Board called a 
public meeting, which was held in the general assembly 
room of this building, at which were present delegations 
from the fishermen, representatives of the cannery men, 
most of the wholesale fish dealers of this State, Dr. Jor- 
dan, of Stanford; Mr. Scofield, of Stanford; Dr. Hark- 
ness, ex-president of our Academy of Sciences, and many 
others. ^ 
Dr. Jordan took a prominent part in the discussion, and 
announced his appearance as attorney for the seals. All 
-lather matters pertaining to the subject were duly con- 
sidered. At the conclusion of the hearing. Dr. Jordan 
stated that while he yet had some doubts as to the de- 
structiveness of the gray seal (Eumetopias) , there was 
no question in his mind but that the brown .sea lion . 
(Zalophus) was a terror and a robber who deserved no 
support. He also stated that the fishermen, the fishery 
mterests, and others had been more than pafcient, and 
expressed wonder that they had not taken the matter into 
their own hands long ago. He distinctly approved of the 
killing of a large percentage of the herd. He also stated 
that the fact that the sea lion entered the rivers only 
during the run of salmon was strong evidence -of the fact 
that they must do great injury to the schools of salmon 
in the sea, and there could be no doubt but that in the sea 
they destroyed great quantities of salmon. 
Dr. Harkness said that he had favored the reduction 
of the herd for years, and admitted that there was no 
question but that they did a great damage to the fishing in- 
terests. 
' Dr. Charles H. Gilbert, of Stanford, sent his regrets at 
being unable to attend, and wrote as follows : 
"My knowledge of the fish-eating propensities of the 
California sea lion dates from 1880. when I assisted Dr. 
Jordan to take the census of the fisheries of the Pacific 
Coast. I had then a fairly extensive experience upon 
the fishing grounds in company with fishermen, and I be- 
came convinced, from my own observation and from con- 
versations with these men that the sea lion is enormously 
destructive of fish and fishing gear. I have seen these 
animals patrolling the gill nets. I have seen them eating 
fish, and I have seen the holes in the nets, said tot be 
caused by their tearing out the captured fish. I am in 
favor of the reduction in the size of the herds of the sea 
lions on the California coast, believing that such reduction 
will materially increase the fish supply in these waters. 
That such a reduction is feasible can hardly be doubted. 
It may in the lon^r run be most advantageously secured 
through the reducUon of tjie P«p8 «iid br«94iug females op 
their l«»wliag gr^iinds," ^ 
After the Treasury Department suspended the permit 
granted us to kill sea lions on the lighthouse reservations. 
Dr. Gilbert wrote us on June 8, saying. "I am sorry to 
learn of the interruption of the sea-lion reduction." 
Dr. Jordan also wrote us, under date of May 20; "In 
the case of the small, black, barking sea lion {Zalophus) 
there can be no question. It enters the rivers and takes 
fish frorn the nets, and is probably very destructive." 
Dr. Gilbert also says that he has visited' Ano Nuevo 
Island on two occasions, and that th'ere is no lack of 
evidence that the sea lions there destroy many fish. 
Therefore, against the biologists and scientists. C. Hart 
Merriam, B. W. Evermann and William T. Hornaday. 
who, confessedly, know nothing of the practical side of 
this question and who know nothing of the character 
and habits of these beasts, we set Dr. David Starr Jordan, 
Dr. Charles H. Gilbert, Dr. H. W. Harkness and our 
Mr. Schofield, who do understand this question from 
both a practical and a scientific standpoint, and who have 
devoted years of study to the subject. It, therefore, will 
not do to say that our campaign against the sea lions 
was conceived in ignorance and born in wantonness and 
brutality. The sentimental side of this question appeals 
as strongly to us as it does to any human being who 
feels a repugnance to take the life of any creature. Stern 
necessity alone has driven us to this extremity. 
With all this evidence before us, and with the knowledge 
gained from personal observation, we determined to take 
steps to reduce the herd, and we sought and obtained 
permission to land upon and shoot from the rookeries at 
the lighthouse reservations at Ano Nuevo and the Faral- 
lones. We fitted out our crews and had them landed upon 
the islands, when the Lighthouse Board revoked our 
permits. 
So far as the examination of the stomachs of these 
animals is concerned, we have to say that nearly all of 
the stomachs examined by us were found to be eraptv. 
This was owing to the fact that the animals were kille'd 
during the breeding season upon their rookeries. We 
are informed, however, by Captain Butwell. chief light 
keeper at Atio Nuevo Island, that witliin the past few 
weeks he made an examination of the stomach of a large 
gray sea lion, and found therein more than 60 pounds of 
fish bones of various kinds. 
We have no desire whatever to exterminate the animal, 
and we may add this is impossible. Our desire is simply 
to make a material reduction in their numbers, and that 
number is very great. At one time this year there were 
3,000 of these animals at the Ano Nuevo Light Station, 
3,000 at the Purissima rookery and fully 8,000 on the 
Farallone Islands, besides a large number upon Point, 
Reyes rookery, all within fifty miles of the Golden Gate, 
and before entering our bay or our rivers each fish must 
run the gauntlet of these sea wolves. 
We submit that protection, under the circumstances, to 
this animal is as reasonable as would be protection to a 
herd of grizzly bears that entered upon your fishery reser- 
vation at Baird in this State and regaled themselves upon 
the salmon which you have trapped for spawn-taking pur- 
poses. We cannot perceive any reason why your Depart- 
ment and ours should spend annuallj'- large sums of money 
for the purpose of breeding salmon simply to have a large 
percentage of them destroyed by these sea lions. It is 
not fair to those engaged in the fishing industry, nor is 
it fair to the taxpayers of the country. We in California 
breed salmon in order that a waning industry in this 
State may be revived and perpetuated, and we are pleased 
to say that the results of our labor are now being har- 
vested each year in greater measure. We ardently hope 
that it may so continue, and we trust that in our efforts 
to subdue, in some degree, the greatest enemy of the 
salmon we may meet with your cordial approval and sup- 
port, and not with your opposition. We are confident that 
if you knew the situation as we do. you could not but 
indorse our position. 
An Afternoon with the Chinooks, 
There were some three hours before sunset when Dr. 
Moore and I stepped into our boat that was tossing fret- 
fully on the Rogue River. The Rogue River — how well it 
is named ! One moment it glides by you as gently as a 
meadow brook; the next, white draped' in foam, it rushes 
forward, lashing the rocks and boulders with flashing 
arms of spray. At the foot of each bar where the froth 
is lost in the dark blue swirl of a deep hole lies the king 
of game fish, the might}' Chinook salmon of the Pacific. 
He differs from his Eastern namesake, being thicker set, 
while his entire colot- is of molten gold. 
During the fearly part of the day he keeps very quiet, but 
•as the Western shadows commence to fall he comes to 
life. I know of no more beautiful sight than the Western 
glow of a September evening upon the foaming watei's 
with the great golden fish leaping in the rainbow spray. 
Again, unlike the Eastern salmon, he does not jitmp 
for flies. The most expert angler cannot coax, a rise 
from him, nor does the patient bait-fisher fare any better, 
for, strange to relate, the Pacific salmon never tastes a 
morsel of food from the time he leaves the ocean until 
he dies far up some mountain stream. He never returns 
to the sea. How then is a sportsman to kill him with rod 
and reel? By using a spinner. A bright object seems to 
attract him, and he will strike it very fiercely. 
We had been spending the last week of our summer 
vacation in an attempt to land a salmon on a fly-rod. So 
far our efforts had not been successful. We had no 
trouble in getting plenty of strikes, but the brush on the 
banks prevented a running fight, and so we had inevitably 
lost our fish together with most of our tackle. 
With but one day remaining, we had decided to try 
our luck in a boat. Why had we not done so before"? 
There are few men who can handle a boat in the Rogue 
River. I do not believe there are over a dozen in Oregon 
who would attempt to roAv you to the foot of one of the 
rapids where you must go if you want salmon. For- 
tunately, however, we had with us one of those men- 
Henry Hoover, an Indian, lieutenant of the police of the 
Kalamath Reservation. I have never seen his equal with 
the oars, 
"Well," I said, as we took our seats, "if we don't get a 
salmon I shall be disappointed." 
"If \ye Aov^'X get drowned I shall be happy," replied the 
Doctor, as he looked toward the tumbling waters of the 
bar. 
The Doctor carried a 14-ounce split bamboo fly-rod, 
wliile I was armed with a steel one 8 ounces lighter. We 
each used a quadruple multiplying reel, carrying 100 yards 
of F line. 
Trolling with about 30 feet of line out, back and forth 
across the current, we zigzagged up the stream. Suddenly 
the Doctor's line came taut and his reel commenced to 
sing. My spoon was struck at the same moment, and a 
giant salmon flashed in the air, but as he was not well 
hooked he was off at the first leap. The Doctor fared 
little better. He had a longer fight, it is true, but after 
fifteen minutes or so the handle of his reel caught in 
his watch chain and away went the salnjon with several 
feet of line. 
Luck, however, was certainly coming the Doctor's way, 
for, as we swung back across the current, he hooked 
a stcelhead. One who has not caught this member of 
the trout family cannot realize how gamely he fought. 
II was a good eighteen or twenty minutes before the Doc- 
tor was able to bring him to gaff. Touching the scales, 
as he did, at a trifle over 6 pounds, he was a prize of 
which any angler might well be proud. 
But we had not come for trout, so after Hoover had 
rested a moment we once more started toward the rapids^ 
Luck seemed to ha^-c deserted us. We went as far up as 
we could, to the very foot of the bar, without so much 
as a nibble. The water boiled around us, and our' boat 
was tossed as by a choppy sea. The weight of the cur- , 
rent on our spoons bent our rods nearly double-. "We'll 
go back and try it again," said Hoover. The words were 
hardly out of his mouth when the Doctor exclaimed, "By 
Jove, I've got him this time," and he had. 
Out of the foaming waters shot a form of molten gold. 
Fnlly half a minute the great fish flashed in the sun- 
light. Five times in as many minutes he leaped a good 
10 feet out of water, shaking his head from side to side 
in a frenzied attempt to cast out the spoon. So fierce were 
his cft'orts that tlie rod. as the Doctor pointed it down- 
ward, vibrated with the shaking head. Then like a shot 
he started down stream, a'nd we were obliged to follow 
him. Yet with the oars and the current bearing us along, 
the handle of the reel was blurred as it whirled round- 
and round. Three himdred yards he went without stop- 
ping, then, without a moment's warning, he was coming 
back up stream as fast as he had gone down. But we 
were ready for this move. As Hoover instantly reversed 
the course of the boat, the Doctor worked the multiplier 
for all it was worth. Between them the fish did not gain 
an inch of slack. Enraged at the failure of his plan, three 
times he hurled himself like a rocket into the air, then 
sank like a. stone to the bottom. ^ 
A salmon's most dangerous moment is when he is sulk- 
ing. Like a log he will cling to the bottom, until you 
think surely he has fouled the line. Suddenly he will 
give a quick little jerk away, then run toward you. Often 
this takes the most expert angler off his guard. If an 
inch of slack is gained the fish is lost. All these tricks 
were well known to the Doctor, and he did not give him a 
moment to rest, but kept steadily pumping him, until, 
goaded by the spring of the rod, the fish suddenly re- 
sumed the battle royal. 
Twice Ire broke water, then darted up stream. This 
was a dangerous move. For a quarter of a mile we could 
have followed him down stream, but we could make little 
progress against that heavy current. Hoover with the 
oars and I with a pole forced the boat up stream as fast 
as we could. Xhe Doctor, with the brake set and his 
thumb acting as a drag, forced the salmon to fight for 
every inch of line he took. But he tore it off by yards. 
When the strain of line and current became too severe, he 
would leap 6 or 7 feet into the air, and the Doctor must 
drop his tip and release the reel. Before he could re- 
gain control, the fish would have taken out precious 
yards of line. Thus the salmon fought his way to the 
foot of the rapids. There he certainly must stop, for 
surely no fish that ever lived could swim the first few 
feet of that »ataract, One moment he paused at the foot 
of the bar, then, graceful as a trained hunter taking a 
fence, with one leap he cleared the worst of the rapids 
and started for a big rock. Unless the Doctor could turn 
him now the fish was lost. There were only 10 feet of 
line left in the reel. But the salmon lost his nerve at the 
crucial moment. He was exhausted by his long run up 
strean.i, and just as vve were expecting to see the line 
snap' he stopped to rest, with life and liberty all but won. 
For a moment he sulked at the bottom; then, unable 
longer to maintain himself in the rushing waters, he 
once more started down stream. A second crisis had 
been, reached. As he (lassed through the rock-strewn 
rapids only the most delicate and expert handling of rod 
and boat could have prevented the line from fouling, and 
we all gave a sigh of relief as he shot from the seething 
waters into the dark, stijl-hole below the bar. In success- 
fully bringing the fish through the rapids and during the 
entire afternoon Hoover deserved as much credit as the 
Doctor. He silently watched the battle. When he saw 
the line groAving short in the reel, he followed the fish 
up stream or down again, or swung the boat this way or 
that to keep the fight in deep water. 
Up to this point the salmon had fought upon old-time 
tactics, but now he seemed to lose his head. Desperate 
with fear and rage, he would come to the surface and 
fling himself to right and left, He lashed the water into 
foam and created a dozen small geysers around him. 
Now sulking, now breaking water, now dashing this way 
and that, he fought for his life as I had never seen a 
fish fight before. 
But as a fencer's foil follows his adversary's circling 
point, so the Doctor's tip followed each move. Now it 
was raised high in air, now pointed low. now gently, as a 
mother's caress, it coaxed the struggling fish from rock 
and shoal. The drag and the break on the reel checked his 
runs ; the swiftly moving multiplier took up the slack-; 
the supple rod bent but never broke. 
The fish was worn by the strain, and, unable to gain an 
inch of slack or to snap that silken thread that held his 
life as in a vise of steel, his rushes became shorter an.d 
shorter, his sulking longer and longer. He was drawn 
nearer and yet nearer to the boat, until at last he turned 
exhausted upon his golden side and was brought to the 
gaff. 
^pr. Moore w^s nearly as tired as the %h. Well h,% 
