SEALING INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 108, 3 November 1926, Page 7

SEALING INDUSTRY

THE PROTECTIVE AGREEMENT

JAPAN WANTS REVISION.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

VANCOUVER, 3rd October,

The question of unrestricted sealing in the North Pacific, which came to an end in 1911, By a treaty or convention between Great Britain, Japan, Russia, and the United States, for a period of fifteen years, in order to enable the herds to propagate, is likely to be reopened next year by Japan, with a request that the agreement be revised. Japanese sealing interests are already pressing for permission to kill more seals than has been allowed under the convention. They contend that the seals, under their long protection, have enormously multiplied, and may be safely subjected to more intensive slaughter for commercial purposes. The British Columbia Government will use its influence with the Canadian Government to oppose tho re-open-ing of pelagic sealing; that is, the uncontrollable slaughter of seals at sea. Experts, however, consider that the agreement might be revised to admit of a slightly larger annual pelt harvest. So far, the three other Powers have received an annual income from the controlled slaughter at tho Pribilhof_ Islands, under supervision of the United States, which has, however, been out of pocket, having spent large sums in administering this scientific slaughter, as well as protecting the seals and caring for the natives of the islands.