SEALING IN THE FAR SOUTH.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17732, 7 April 1923, Page 15

SEALING IN THE FAR SOUTH.

REPORT OF CAMPBELL ISLANDS PARTY. (pfiESS ASSOCIATION TELEGEAM.) DUNDDIN, April 6. Members of the Campbell Islands syndicate who returned to Daraedi» today, state that the men on the islands secured over 300 sealskins. It has been, a close season for seals on all the islands coming under the jurisdiction of the New Zealand government for a number of years now, but special permission was granted to tiie syndicate to take 400 skins. The sealers at the islands worked Barter great difficulties, ana in many instances they had to be lowered down cliffs by ropes to enable them ta secure seals. The members of the syndicate say that there are thousands of seaw on the various (southern islands, and that there is no fear of them bemg exterminated. They hold that the JNew Zealand Government is taking up a wrong attitude in continuing the close season from year to year, anu they assert that it is a well known fact that auxiliary sailing ships come from Am« rica and take as many se&ls as they can, without let or miiflran.ee. The time wh«n the swds cam© to . the root* ories is June, July and August. They then swim away to the icefields. It is pointed out that the wands are under the control of the New Zealand Government, and that it is a Utopian policy to protect the seals to enaWe outsid. ers to come and freely poach, in the rookeries. One of the men who returned to-day by the Tutanekai stated tht whales were also plentiful around the Campbells, and that on one occasion he had seen 11 right whales in one shoal. Tho syndicate haa a plant for trying out blubber, etc., but so far has not actively prosecuted the industry. Flounders are plentiful, and some of them ara very large. One flounder measured 2ft 6in in length.