Rare And Costly Sea Otters Being
Harvested; First Time Since 1896
Sea Otter, producers of the rar
est and most costly of all furs, are
being harvested for the first time
in about 67 years, the Kodiak Mir
ror has learned.
Kodiak, once the “Sea Otter
Capital of the World” with over
2,000 sea otter hunters, eaeh with
his own individual “bidarky” (skin
kayak) based here, might once
again bask in the glory of this title,
though the harvest will be reduced
drastically from the specie-destroy
ing pace set in the 1800’s.
With virtually no fanfare, the
state of Alaska, in conjunction
with the Fish and Wildlife Service,
has already made two harvests of
these magnificent fur-bearing an
imals.
In the late months of last year,
two harvests were made on Am
chitka Island with 150 animals b?
ing taken in the first and 30 in the
second, according to ADF&G Game
Biologist Ron Batchelor.
“It was determined that the
numbers of sea otter on Amchitka
had increased to the point where
disease and natural parasites were
accounting for losses in the popu
lation. It is believed that we can
harvest limited numbers of these
on a strictly sustained yield basis
now,” Batchelor stated.
300 ANIMALS
“This spring we expect to har
vest another 300 animals,’’ he said.
Batchelor stressed the fact that
these animals are still under strin
gent protection rules of the fed
eral government and that the har
vest is strictly supervised effort of
the state and federal agencies in
volved.
He pointed out that it was diffi
cult to make a judgment on the
value of the pelts due to the fact
that they had been off the market
for over a half century. However,
the last known sale of a sea otter
pelt took place at a Berlin auction
where one pelt brought a price of
$2,500 in 1941. (Pelts have been,
on very rare occasions, recovered
after an animal had been found
dead.)
UNDERGOING PROCESSING
Here in the Kodiak Islands,
where sea otter were once one of
the most numerous fur-bearing
species, it is rare to sight one al
though it is believed that approx
imately 500 animals are existing jn
the North Afognak area.
STATE
your feelings to our Legislators
so that they will know how you
feel. It
DOESN’T
always do any good but it won’t
hurt to try—like the repayment
of the Reed Fund. Let’s
PAY
our just bills and get it over
with.
Now if you have a bill with us
that shows that you know the
value of a darned good agency.
Stop in and meet, not
BILL
but
ART BROOKS
at
Kodiak insurance
INC.
Art Brooks at 486—2215
Arrangements for handling am
sale of the harvested fur pelts i:
in the hands of the Alaska Depart
ment of Economic Planning. Sev
eral furs have been undergoinj
processing in Anchorage at Davie
Green Furriers.
Batchelor said that last montl
two sea otters, both females, were
caught in an underwater King Crat
holding net near Afognak and sub
sequently drowned. These were
brought to ADF&G here anc
skinned out by Jake Blanc out or
Chiniak. They were then sent on
to Anchorage.
According to Batchelor, plans
are in the making to have pelts
brought to Kodiak in time for dis
play at the King Crab Festival.
RUMMAGE SALE PLANNED
A Rummage Sale will be held
Feb. 22 and 23 at Clark’s Garage,
sponsored by the Women of St.
James the Fisherman Episcopal
Church.
Persons desiring rummage to be
picked up for the sale may call
6-5216 or 6-5242 in town, and 7-2272
at the Base.
Mrs. George Buxton is chairman
for the semiannual sale.
Research Vessels
Checking Salmon
SEATTLE — Two research ves
sels of the Bureau of Commercial
Fisheries are now checking on the
winter distribution and abundance
of salmon in the Bering Sea and
North Pacific.
In the western and central areas
of the Gulf of Alaska is the 117
foot George B. Kelz. A sister ship,
the Bertha Ann, is operating in
the Bering and North Pacific west
of Adak.
STONE IN JUNEAU
Kodiak Baptist Mission Superin
tendent Bill Stone left for Juneau
this week to attend the Alaska
Council of Churches. As Lay Rep
resentative for the American Bap
tists in Alaska, Stone will convene
a meeting of the Alaska Associa
tion of Child Care Institute of
which he currently is president.
RETURNS TO KODIAK
Ray Martin, Sr., manager of the
PNA station here, who has been
in the Lower 48 for the past month
on a vacation, returned to Kodiak
on Tuesday.
Mirror Classifieds bring results.
f
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Who knows water better than a fish?
The fish we employ as water experts are tiny Stickle
backs. We pay them liberally in brine-shrimp, no
salary deductions.
It’s all because we use millions of gallons of water
daily in our refineries. After use, it is treated with
algae, bacteria, chemicals, sunshine and oxygen, to
make sure the water is clean and pure when we
return it to stream or sea.
\
As an ultima:? safeguard, we let our Sticklebacks
test the water, before it is released. If they like it,
we know it will be happy water for any fish.
The object is to keep our streams and coastal waters
pollution-free with abundant fish to nibble your
hooks, and clean playgrounds for your water sports.
Many other industries which depend upon water are
equally careful. Our common concern
is to protect a priceless heritage.
Planning ahead to serve you better
STANDARD OIL COMPANY OF CALIFORNIA