BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 81 
Tol. VII, Mo. ©. Washington, 1. ©. Oct. ©,1887, 
2f5.— irVJUKIES TO THE IHSIIEKSES KiV THE BALTIC B¥ SEALS.* 
By Mr. MSNCREOIAI^ 
Royal Superintendent of Fisheries. 
The constantly increasing number of seals on our Baltic coasts has 
become so serious a danger to our coast fisheries, that it appears high 
time to find ways and means to keep these injurious animals away from 
our shores. Ten or fifteen years ago, when our fishermen still under- 
rated their destructiveness, and at best were amused to see one of them, 
it was hardly thought possible that these animals would one day en- 
danger the fisheries on the coast of Sleswick-, Holstein, where they for- 
merly appeared only in small numbers and at places where there was 
not much chance of their injuring the fisheries. 
Those fiords suffer most where cod fisheries are carried on with nets 
and bow-nets during the months of October, November, and December. 
The damage done to the fisheries by seals in Eckeroforde and Neustadt 
alone is very considerable, as they frequently tear about a hundred nets in 
one day. Unfortunately the fishermen are very slow in making such cases 
public and bringing them to the knowledge of persons interested. 
Hunting seals on our east coast has so far had little or no result. 
This sport offers too few attractions, for the seal when mortally wounded 
invariably sinks to the bottom, where, at least in deep water, it cannot 
be reached. It might be said that the purpose is fully answered if the 
seals are killed. But who will do this*? There is no use in the fisher- 
men carrying firearms, as they have often done, because they can en- 
gage in seal-hunting only in time left over from their proper employ- 
ment. Moreover, firearms are rather in the way in a boat where fishing 
is being carried on, because there is constant danger that the crew will 
come in dangerous contact with these weapons. Seal-hunting from a 
boat is not very pleasant for sportsmen, because it can be done only in 
winter, and even then is very uncertain. An effective protection against 
seals, therefore, cannot be obtained in this way, and even the granting 
of rewards for. killing them would not answer the purpose, because the 
huntsman can only in very rare cases prove that his shot has been suc- 
cessful, as the dead seal cannot be taken from the surface of the water, 
but sinks to the bottom. 
* “ Schadig ungen der Fischerei in der Ostsee durch Seefiunde.” From Mittheil ungen der 
Section des Deutschen Fischerei- Vereins fiir Kiislen- und Hochsee- Fischerei, Nos. 4 and 5, 
Berlin, April and May, 1886. Translated from the German by Herman Jacobson. 
BULL. U. S. F. C. 87—6 
