DISAPPEARANCE OF SEALS

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28154, 18 December 1956, Page 22

DISAPPEARANCE OF SEALS

West Coast Colony Believed Killed SKINNED CARCASES SEEN ON BEACH (From Out Own Reporter) NELSON. December 17. A colony of about three hundred seals established on a West Coast beach out from Harihari, and about three miles north of the Wanganui river, have almost disappeared, and the suspicion is strong that they have been killed for their skins. Until about three weeks or a month ago they were periodically seen by people living in that vicinity, and by airline pilots. On the last Saturday in November, a fisherman who went to Green Beach reported that the only trace he could find of the seals was a few skinned carcases. On the Monday after, Mr Geoffrey Wood, a photographer, of Nelson, accompanied by Mrs Perrine Moncrieff, vice-president of the Forest and Bird Protection Society, Mr S. S. Collier, of Nelson, and a representative of the field staff of the Lands and Survey Department, Hokitika, went down to fulfil a prearranged assignment to photograph the seals. They heard the story of the fisherman and saw only about a dozen live seals. Mr Wood photographed some skinned carcases, and copies are being sent to the Marine Department, which is making inquiries into th« fate of this seal colony. Seals are absolutely protected by law. Colonies of them round the South Island coasts have been increasing lately.