SALMON IS NOT
USED BY SEALS
FOR FOOD, CLAIM
BUREAU OF FISHERIES TAKES
. ISSUE WITH VIEW THAT
SEALS DESTROY SALMON
Fur seals are not unduly destruc
tive of Alaska salmon and the loss
of salmon through alleged seal de
predations on the runs are not a
material factor in salmon conserva
tion. in the opinion of the Bureau
of Fisheries. The view of the Bu
reau is set forth in a statement pre
pared by Lewis Radcliffe, Acting
Commissioner of Fisheries, of Wash
ington, which has just been received
by the Gateway.
This statement takes issue with
the press report of a statement re
cently made by Senator C. C Dill,
of Washington to the Gateway while
in Seward, in which the latter as
serted that salmon consumed by
fur seals as food annually amount
e dto 100,000,000 tons and was an
important factor in depleting the
fish resources af the Territory.
Not Well Founded.
The statement of Mr. Radcliffe
follows in full:
“The press statement that the Al
aska fur seals consume one million
tons of salmon annually cannot be
substantiated. In fact students of
these animals find only meager evi
dence of the destruction of salmon
by them. The Saranna River, the
most important salmon stream on
Berling Island, lies within 7 miles
of the largest seal rookery of the
Russian fur-seal herd. This stream
has sustained a fishery of from 20,
000 to 100,000 salmon. No seais
have been observed feeding on these
runs, and there is no indication of
the destruction of this fishery by
seals, as the run of fish still con
tinues. Fur seals feel largely at
the surface; for much of the year
they are far out at sea, out of range
of the salmon. Even when the fur
seals are in waters inhabited by
salmon, it appears only as an oc
casional item of diet.
“Belief that the Pribilof Islands
fur seals feed upon salmon has prob
ably had its inception in f\vo ways.
First, it is only natural t6 assume
that carnivorous marine animals
like the fur seals would feed upon
fish, and as the salmon is the best
known of the Pacific Coast fishes,
it. might be assumed that they con
stitute the chief food supply of fur
seals. Careful investigation of the
matter, however, does not substan
tiate an assumption of this kind.
Secondly, the hair seal is a hearty
feeder upon salmon Its habitat is
distinctly different from that of the
fur seal, as the hair seal is a well
known animal in all the inshore
coastal waters of the North Pacific.
Its habits are therefore easy of ob
servation and are quite well known,
as, for example, on the Copper River
flats and in the vicinity of the Sti
kine, Taku and Chilkat rivers they
are abundant and are frequently
seen both eating and w'antonly kill
ing salmon. Undoubtedly in consid
ering the feeding habits of seals,
careful distinction has not always
been made between fur seals and
hair seals, with the result that the
salmon-eating habits of the hair
seals have been attributed without
warrant to “seals” in general.
Cites Scientists' Reports.
“Let us now' turn to the reports
of scientific investigators who have
made this a subject of special study.
“Dr. Frederick A. Lucas, of the
American Museum of Natural His
tory, who prepared a special report
on the ‘Food of the Northern Fur
Seals,’ states that surface fishes, and
especially squid, seem th'e natural
food of the fur seal. Th food of
the seal undoubtedly varies in dif
ferent localities, depending upon the
abundance of the species. In Ber
ing Sea, near the Aleutian Islands,
and in the Gulf of Alaska, squid,
pollock, and seal fish were the chief
items found in the stomachs of the
seals examined. Out of 273 seals
examined in Beriug sea only 18 had
eaten any salmon.
Dr. Davis Starr Jordan and Mr.
George A. Clark, in 1896, wrote as
follows:
“ ‘The views here expressed that
“the favorite haunts" of the seals
“are the shores of British Columbia
and lower Alaska,” and that “the
fish upon which they live are more
abundant in shallow' than in deep
water,” are derived from a misap
prehension of the habits of the ani
mals. That some of the seals come
into the bays and inlets of still
water off the British Columbian and
Alaskan coasts is doubtless true, and
scrupulousvdeanlmess
is keynote at Frye Plant
Your own good taste quickly proves tlie unusual
quality of Frye’s “Delicious*' Hams and Bacon—
and did you know the scrupulous cleanliness that
is the first consideration at every stage of the
preparation of Frye’s “Delicious” Products,
under Government supervision, satisfying assur
ance would be added to grateful appetite.
THE FRYE
LABEL
gives real assur
ance of unusual
quality and per
fect purity. Look
for it on wrappers
and rind of Frye’s
“Delicious” Hams
and Bacon.
“Everything The Name Implies99
Hams and Bacon bearing the Frye’s
“Delicious” label also bear the U. S.
Government inspection stamp, so that yOu
have double assurance in the all impor
tant matters of cleanliness and quality.
25-sa
they have no landing place there,
nor do they specially frequent these
waters. They make a rapid trip
south through the Pacific Ocean to
the latitude of southern California,
where they strike the coast and re
turn slowly along its length On
their migrations the main body of
the herd keep well off shore. A
platting of sealing catches, includ
ing some 120,000 animals, made by
Mr. C. H. Townsend in 1896, shows
that the seals are found for the
main part off the 100-fathom line.
Even in Bering Sea they feed in
deep water. They rarely molest the
shore fishes, and do not to any con
siderable extent devour species used
for food.'
Not Found Together.
“The habit of fur seals in re
maining well out in deep water is
significant. The best available in
formation in regard to the life his
tory of the Pacific salmon is that
they never go far off .shore from
their parent streams. It is not be
lieved that fur seals and salmon fre
quent to any extent proximate wa
ters.
“Dr. Leonard Stejneger, of the
United States National Museum, who
has spent several seasons on the
Commander Islands, the breeding
place of the Russian fur-seal herd,
refers to the finding of cephalopods
in the stomachs of fur seals, and
says further:
“ ‘That they also eat fish, at least
occasionally, is also unquestionable.
But the following fact will as un
questionably show that salmon and
cod, at least, do not furnish any
portion of the regular summer diet
of the Commander Islands seals
■worth mentioning:
“ ‘It may not be very much to
the point to observe that three spec
ies of salmon (Oncorhynchus)
abound in all the river on . Bering
Island, and that the fur seals are
not observed to feed upon them at
the mouths of these rivers; but the
fact that the largest salmon river
oi the island, the Saranna River, is
situated less than 7 miles from the
largest sea; rookery without the
seals coming over there to feed
upon the enormous numbers of sal
mon ascending that river is proof
conclusive. The river and the fish
ing establishment of the natives at
Saranna have been described else
where in this report, so that it will
suffice in the present connection to
recall the statement that the annual j
3atch in that river alone varies be-1
tween 20,000 and 100,000 salmon.
“ ‘As for the codfish, it is only
necessary to state that they are
common right off the great north
rookery of Bering Island. On Sep
tember 16, 1895, we were anchored
in 10 fathoms of watbr less than
a mile from Sivutchi Kamen and
within hearing of the roar from the
rookery. A single cod line over the
side of the steamer for a couple of
hours brought up three fourths of
a barrel of codfish.’
No Effect On Runs.
Dr. Stejneger made another visit >
to the Commander Islands in 1922
and states that the run of salmon
still exists in the Saranna River,
conclusive proof that it has not
been affected by the seal herd. There
is certainly no reason to believe that
the habits of the American hard
vary greatly .from those of the Com
mander Islands herd. While it i§
possible that in some instances and
to a small extent fur seals may eat
salmon, yet it still remains un
proved that they have any appre
ciable effect on the great runs of
these fish which annually enter the
streams of Alaska.”
Eighty million swine were killed
in the United States last year, but
it is too much to hope that any road
hogs were included in the list.
EX-DETECTIVE ACCUSED
OF POSSESSING LIQUOR
FROM CHILLIWACK STORE
VANCOUVER, B. C., Sept. 17. (/P)—
Frank Fernandez, former Royal Can
adian Mounted Police investigator,
came up yesterday morning for com
mittal on charge of having in his pos
session liquuor to the value of nearly
$1,500 stolen from the government
liquor store at Chilliwack. Formal com
plaint was delayed until Wednesday.
Join Urbach’s Circulating Library,
15c to read a late book. tf
FOR SALE—Fruit Jars. J. L. Graef.
Simple Mixture Best
For Constipation
Simple buckthorn bark, magnesium
sulph. c. p., glycerine, etc., as mixed
in Adlerika, is excellent tor constipa
tion. It often works in one hour or
less and never gripes. The pleasant
and QUICK action of this efficient in
testinal evacuant will surprise you.
Adlerika helps any case gas on the
stomach, unless due to deep-seated
causes. Often removes matter you
never thought was in your system.—
Seward Drug Company.
The Alaska Railroad
TRAINS LEAVE SEWARD
7:30 A. M.
MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS
TRAINS ARRIVE SEWARD
7:30 P. M.
WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS
STEAMSHIP STARR
STEAMER STARR SAILS SEPTEMBER 14
San Juan Fishing and Packing Co.
G. C. HENDERSON, Agent
PHONE MADISON ,3,. 8EWARD, ALASKA
® I lit.
S. S. ADMIRAL WATSON
Sails from
Seattle—
Sept. 8
Oct. 1.
Arrives at
Seward—
Sept. 15
Oct. 8.
South from
Seward—
Sept. 22,
Oct. 14.
Calling at all regular Southeastern and South
western Alaska ports including Seldovia and
Kodiak.
WAYNE BLUE, Agent
Telephone Main SI Res., Madison 40
Pacific Coastwise Jervice
^ADMIRAL LINE
■H.F. ALEXANDER.
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ALASKA STEAMSHIP
COMPANY
Southwestern Alaska Route Schedule
Vessel—
Yukon
Northwestern
Alaska
Yukon
Northwestern
Alaska
Scheduled
Lv. Seattle
Sept. 12
Sept. 19
Sept. 26
Oct. 3
Oct. 10
Oct. 17
Scheduled
Ar. Seward
Sept. 19
Sept. 26
Oct. 3
Oct 10.
Oct. 17
Oct. 24
Scheduled Sail 5
from Seward
Sept. 19 E
Sept. 26 E
Oct. 3
oct. I?, : mro 5
Oct. 17 E
Oct. 24 =
Steamers in the above schedule will make all regular ports of call 2
m Southeastern and Southwestern Alaska. E
Steamers in above schedule will not leave Seward earlier than FOUR E
O’CLOCK Sunday afternoon, sailing dste.
Steamer Redondo, carrying freight and passengers, connects with “
above steamers at Seward, weekly, for Cook Inlet and Kodiak Is- =
land points, subject to change without notice. ~
J. H. FLICKINGER, Agent
PHONE MAIN 125 SEWARD, ALASKA =
l»Illif(llli||IIIif|||||l||i|il|||i||||im;||,ii2|n|j!|||J]m||||mm|||I||ll|mmmilll iiimiiE
EXCURSION RATES DURING
WESTERN ALASKA FAIR
For the accommodation of those who care
to journey to Anchorage for the Western Al
aska Fair, September 14th to September
19th, the regular excursion rates of one and
one-third of the normal one-way fare, for
the round trip, will be in effect.
Dates of ticket sales from all points, Sep
tember 10—11—12—13—14—15—16—17—
18 and 19. Final return limit September
24, 1925.
STOP-OVERS
Stop-overs will be permitted at all points
within the final return limit, on both going
and return trips.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
The Alaska Railroad
(McKinley Park Route)
Seward Anchorage Curry Nenana Fairbanks
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