THE BEHRING'S SEAL. FISHERIES.

Timaru Herald, Volume LV, Issue 5739, 2 August 1893, Page 4

THE BEHRING'S SEAL. FISHERIES.

The sealeries question is a really live one, and Mr P. L. Bolster (secretary of the Zoological Society) m giving a naturalist's view of it m the Nineteenth Century throws a clear white light upon the real merits of the " triangular duel " between Russia, Britain and the United States with regard to sealing rights m Behring's Sea. The fur seal is now praotically confined to the North Pacifio, and has only two known breeding places —Pribilof Islands (under United States jurisdiction) and the Ooumandor Islands (Russian) In April the bulls (from 6 to 20 years old) arrive on these islands, followed m May by the cows, which m batches of 30 to 40 con* stitute their harems. The baobelori— male seals under 6 years of age — are driven away from the " rookeries " bj the adult bulls and establish themselves m separate communities. The breeding season lasts four months, and for the " bachelors " it is the " killing " season also* They will not leave the looality, and honoe fall an easy prey to man. Every day their haunts are visited, and they are driven inland and drafted for killing, those witb the best fur being taken and the rest allowed to rejoin their comrades. Thus only non-breeding animals are killed, and the seed is preserved from extinction, But after the breeding season is over, the cowa, bachelors and pups swim off for the coatt of California, end m the following May return m an irregular body along the coast of British Columbia. Here American and Canadian schooners take up the fishing, (hooting, harpooning, catohing and killing induoriminately whatever seals, cows, pups, bulls or baohelors thay can, and losing many of tboae killed, for the seal sinks quiokly when shot. This is the " pelagic " fishing, about which all the trouble has arisen, and if it goes on the seal must soon beoome extinct. It oannot be supposed, however, that Great Britain will consent to declare Behring's Sea a mare clausuvi, m the interests of the seal, without some compensation for the abolition of her indubitable " pelagic fishing rights." Mr Bolster's suggestion is that America should pay fiogland a royalty on all the seals annually killed on the Pribilof Islands, and that all other sealing than that of the island breeding places be internationally prohibited.