Conservation Of Seals

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31755, 12 August 1968, Page 1

Conservation Of Seals

Suggestions for the protection of Antarctica’s seals were made at a symposium on Antarctic biology at Cambridge University. Professor G. A. Knox, professor of zoology at the University of Canterbury, said on his return from the symposium yesterday that biologists were concerned to see that the fate of Antarctica’s whales—which have been heavily depleted—will not apply to the seals. He said that a working group spent a lot of time on this matter. As a result a number of recommendations on the conservation of the seals would be forwarded to the next meeting of the Spe-

cial Committee on Antarctic Research (S.C.A.R.) for adoption by the Antarctic treaty nations.

Professor Knox said three species would not be allowed to be taken. These were the Ross seal and, within the area south of 60 degrees, the fur seal and the sea elephant. Species which eould be taken included the crab-eater and the leopard seal. Biologists had a very inadequate knowledge of the stocks of seals in and round the continent. Professor Knox said the symposium, to be held every five years, was only the second one. It was attended by representatives from most of the Antarctic treaty nations. The general symposium dealt with various aspects of

biological research covering land and sea, and much time was devoted to the future development of research in the area, he said.

The biology working group, which made the recommendations about seal conservation on the continent, also acts as adviser to the S.C.A.R. on the development and control of Antarctica’s resources.

“The group will have to decide policy on the possible exploitation of krill—a small shrimp-like crustacean eaten by whales. The quantity of krill runs into many billions of tons,” said Professor Knox. “The Russians have done a lot of research on this and have in fact processed krill into a variety of products for

human consumption, including fish pastes of a high protein content. Now the Japanese are interested in this type of exploitation,” he said. Professor Knox said that what had been done so far was only exploratory investigation.

New Zealand was represented at the symposium by Professor Knox, Dr B. Stonehouse and Dr E. Young, of the University of Canterbury’s zoology department, both of whom had been involved in field work on the continent, and Mr F. Kinsky, of the Dominion Museum, Wellington. There was a distinct possibility that the next Antarctic biology symposium will be held in Christchurch in 1973, said Professor Knox.