N.Z. SEAL HERDS TOO MUCH DEPLETED BY 1946 OPEN SEASON

Grey River Argus, 7 May 1948, Page 5

N.Z. SEAL HERDS TOO MUCH DEPLETED BY 1946 OPEN SEASON

Next One Put Off For Three Years P.A. WELLINGTON, May 6. A close season for seals of all species in ail parts of New Zealand from May 6 until March 31, 1951, was declared in an amendment to the Seal Fishing Regulations, gazetted to-night.. Commenting on the new Mosed season, the curator of the Dominion musjum, Dr R. A. Falla, said that the measure was evidently taken to allow the recovery of the herd from the open season in 1946. “Investigations made last year indicated that there was a shortage oi young seals in the nera, following the open season, he said There was no reason why seals could not bo exploited commercially under modified methods, continued Mr Falla, using modern methods, and taking only three or four-year-olds from carefully controlled and managed herds, lire seals could then become a permanent, ano continuing asset. Further investigations along these lines would be made later this winter, added Mr Falla. An attempt would be made to take a reliable census of the herds, and. from that, an estimate of their potential rate of increase. Once this was known, it would be possible to recommend some rational and economic way of exploiting the seals. Last year’s investigation snowed that, while there were many seals about, including many young pups, one-year-old pups were very scarce, said Mr Falla. As the bull seals did not breed until four or five years oi age. .it was evident, that the potential breeding stock had been affected “From investigations which were made by different authorities. The Marine Department officers and myself, it was plain that the knock back received by the seals in the 1946 season was more Jihan they could stand he said. The result of a lack of seal pups coming in for breeding purposes would be a natural decline in .the young born. say. in 1950. The closed season will cover this gap, and allow the seal beards the opportunity of making a recovery. Open seasons have been tried in the nature of experiments in exploiting the New Zealand herds. Open seasons were declared in 1915 and 1924 and the last in 1946, when an apparent increase in the herds led to representations being made by interested parties to the Government. This increase in the herds, however, was not sufficienct to cope with the methods used. The practice of holding an open season in the winter. the seals’ breeding season, leads to a disproportionate loss of cow seals and of the young. Although at periods during the colsed seasons the herds have increased, their numbers were far short of the great herds which populated thft New Zealand coastline a century ago. They were nothing like a return to the old conditions, and the traditional winter killing, with the conseqiMnt loss of pups and breeding seais.'had the expected result. During the investigations made last summer, we gained the impression that the seal herds would not stand the same sort of open slaughter as the year before. The Marine Department keeps a close watch on the seal herds, and the closed season is probably the result of their knowledge of the conditions in the herds, Mr Falla added.