FUR SEALS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3618, 17 July 1923, Page 28

FUR SEALS.

AN AAIAZING INCREASE. THE GOVERXAIENT’S POLICY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 10. According to a statement made in the Legislative Council this afternoon, seals are rapidly increasing in numbers in cue vicinity of New Zealand. Sir Francis Bell said that after the war the present Government insisted on the refusal of all permits to kill seals. The results had been extraordinary, and the number of fur seals had increased amazingly. The Campbell Island had been leased for pastoral purposes, arc! there were some inhabitants there looking after sheep. There were no inhabitants of the Auckland Islands, and none of the Antipodes. Representations were made to the Government that Norwegians and other reamers of the seas were sealing in those parts, and that the seals were being slaughtered. An arrangement was come to whereby the lessee of Campbell Island and his men were appointed custodians of the sealing grounds, in return for which they were to be allowed 400 bull seals per year. The arrangement had been an excellent one, and the seals were _ increasing at a great rate. Sir Francis Bell believed that the day was fast coming when the fur sealing industry m New Zealand would be a very valuable one. He was sorry to say there had been practically no return of the seals to the West, Coast Sounds, but he believed that would come. A great deal had been done since the unfortunate mistake of 10 years ago of letting the seals be destroyed.