31 March 1897 (Bibl 103, 104, 106, 108) the Japanese sealing fleet expanded even tore 
repidly. For a short time the vessels prospered, but the results of the continued relent- 
less persecution of the seale vere already becoming apparent (Bibl 138). As the seals 
wintering off Japan declined in numbers, the still increasing Japanese sealing fleet began 
to hunt farther and farther from home. Pelagic sealing wma forbidden within a radius of 
60 miles of the Fribilof Islande by a cooperative agreement between the United States and 
Great Britain, drawn up shortly after the Paris Tribunal eward of August 1893. Also a 30- 
mile restricted zone had been established around the Commander Ielands by a similar agree~ 
ment between Great Britain and Russia. Ae Japan had not signed either of these agreements 
{in fact her cooperation had not even been invited) she was not obligated in any way by 
them. Under international law her nationale consequently had just as much right to hunt 
seals on the high seas beyond the three-mile territorial limit of these islande as the 
American and Canadian vessels had to operate off Japan's coast in the 1890's. Japanese 
eealere were not long in taking advantage of their position. 
The American and Russian seal colonies were given a temporary respite from Japa- 
nese attention by the discovery in 1901 of the seal migration into the Japan Sea. The 
Japanese fleet concentrated on the new find immediately and exploited it to the maximum 
(Bibl 138, 139). Twenty Japanese vessels operated. there during the 1902 season, taking a 
total of 5,712 seale (Bibl 146). The animales in thie hitherto overlooked fishery origi- 
nated apparently in the rapidly dwindling Robben Island rockery, though some of them may 
have come from the equally declining Commander Ieland herds (Bibl 147). These seale were 
so rapidly decimated, however, that within two years pelagic sealing in the Japan Sea wae 
no longer profitablé and the Japanese vessele had to seek more lucrative waters to the 
northward. 
The moet profitable pelagic sealing areas were now the feeding grounds off the 
Commander and Pribilof rookeries. While nureing their pups, female seals may feed as far 
as 150 miles from the rookeries, in waters where they were then completely unprotected. 
The Japanese first centered their efforte on the watere near the Commander Islands, but as 
thie herd declined they soon expanded their operations eastward to the vicinity of the 
FPribilofe as well. Their distant operations were assisted in 1905 by the revision of the 
Deep Sea Fisheries Encouragement Law (Bibl 149, 150, 151) which increased the subsidies 
and allowed the fleet to operate more profitably farther from home. 
The Japanese sealing fleet now became a scourge to the northern eea islands, The 
easy pickings of land sealing on the guarded rookeries themselves were always a temptation 
to vessels operating off shore. As the sealers worked closer and closer to land they grew 
bolder and even made armed raide in force on the nurseries, where they came into conflict 
with both the Ruseian and American rookery guards. The seriousness of these clashes is not 
reflected in the Japanese literature, for the Japanese were evidently quite aware of the 
ethics of the eituation and made no written comment on cases where the poachers were in the 
wrong. However, they seldom failed to comment when they had some right on their side, such 
as when their vessels were overhauled, searched, and seized on the high seas without esuffi- 
cient evidence to prove illicit operations within the legal territorial limite. ]0/ 
The attitude of the Japanese Government throughout thie period is difficult to 
understand, as the available evidence is quite contradictory. The record shows that the 
government cooperated fully in all international efforte towards the protection of fur 
seals. Ae early as 1887, when the United States first attempted to obtain such cooperation, 
Japan signified her willingness to join the negotiations, but her advances were rebuffed. 
The United States treated Japan rather summarily, stating (Stejneger, idem, p 326) that she 
“had better wait until the other powers had come to an agreement", something which never 
happened because the negotiations broke down suddenly after Great Britain's refusal to con- 
promise. Japan also accepted the United States invitation to join a four-power conference 
in 1897, which aleo was never held because Great Britain was opposed to it. Finally, Japan 
cooperated fully in the four-power convention in 1911. 
10/ Compare Bibl 157, 169, 174, 175, 183, 187, 190, 222, 224, 228, 250 with the American 
and Russian published records. 
19 
