wastefulness has been eliminated by the teukimbo-sen, which al. 
ways bring their catch ashore 
for processing where the entire animal can be utilised. ‘The meat is sold for human food, 
the blubber yields o11, and the bones and entrails make fertilizer. 
Ze Present-Day Poaching 
Barly in the course of Natural Resources Section field investigations it became 
apparent that pelagic sealing in Japan had by no means ceased despite the Occupation orders 
forbidding it. Frequently tsukimbo-sen were observed operating in waters where porpoises 
were scarce but fur seals relatively abundant. On the morning of 18 March 1949 for in 
stance, several porpoise vessels were observed maneuvering actively on the horizon, their 
movements duplicating those of the research vessel which was hunting fur seals (11 seals 
were taken from 0800 to 1200 on that day). Overhauling these vessels to inspect their 
SaeNS wae not feasible at the time, but it is extremely unlikely that they were hunting 
porpoises. ; 
Also most suggestive are the many articles made of fur seal fur offered for sale 
by Japanese stores in the cities and large coastal towne of northeastern Honshu and Hok- 
kaido. These articies range from fur collars, caps, and vests to briefcases, boot tops, 
thongs for wooden clogs, and sundry other small items. Such articles are seen in quantity 
only in the towns near the coasts where fur seals winter, practically never elsewhere, and 
all the fur of which they are made retains the long guard hairs which would have been re- 
moved in large-scale tanning operations. No records exist of any carryover of seal skins 
taken legaliy on Robben Island, or by lawful pelagic sealing prior to the Occupation. The 
only conclusion that can be reached is that this is a local businese, with the articles 
being nade in the vicinity from skins locally and currently procured. 
In April 1949 the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers informed the Bureau of 
Fisheries of these suspicions of continued fur seal poaching and requested that investi- 
gative and corrective action be taken immediately. The Bureau previously had instructed 
both the Maritime Safety Board (in charge of law enforcement in coastal waters) and the 
prefectural governors concerned that the killing of fur seals was prohibited, and had re~- 
quested them to take necessary action through the local police to prevent it. However, 
apparently no such action had been taken, so the Bureau of Fisheries assigned one of its 
own research vessels to patrol duties in the sealing waters during 2 May-15 June 1949. As 
anticipated, this vessel found poaching to be common off the coaets of Miyagi, Iwate, and 
Aomori prefectures, and two arreste were made, both at Kamaishi in Miyagi Prefecture on 
17 May. The ll-ton porpoise vessel Benten Maru was found landing the skins and meat of 
six fur seals wrapped in straw matting, and the owner and captain of the 9-ton Tomo Maru 
was found in possession of four fur seals. 
As nearly as can be determi.ed the teukimbo-sen now do not make an exclusive 
practice of pelagic sealing euch as flourished before the surrender, but they do not hesi- 
tate to take those fur seals they encounter while hunting porpoises. How many seals are 
etill being killed can not be estimated exactly, but the total must be considerable. With 
the gradual economic recovery of Japan since the surrender, more and more porpoise vessels 
are being put back into commission. Today one or more tsuximbo-sen are based in almost 
every harbor between Choshi in Honshu and Muroran in Hokkaido, and the number of vessels 
is believed almost to have reached ite prewar level of about 300. Judging from the number 
of boats, from their probable average unit catches, and from the amount of seal fur ob- 
served in the loca) markets, a reasonable guese places the total 1948-1949 season's kill 
at between 2,000 and 3,000 seals. 
Unrestricted sealing by the porpoise vessels the Japanese now have available could 
exhaust the Asiatic seal resources in a few years. This report already has shown what hap- 
pened back in the 1890's, and the modern techniques are much more effective than the old. 
Today a tesukimbo-sen would not find it difficult to take 200 seals in a season, and 250 
such vessels might, theoretically at least, take 50,000 seals annually while the supply 
lasts. Such a drain would be immediately disastrous to the Robben and Commander [sland 
herds now under Russian jurisdiction. Its effect on the Pribilof herds probably would not 
46 
