NOTES ON THE SEAL AND WHALE FISHERY, 1897.
By Thomas Southwell, F.Z.S.
The take of Seals by the Newfoundland steam sealers in the past season has been the smallest it has fallen to my lot to record in the seventeen years over which my notes have extended, and that notwithstanding the exceptional success of two of the vessels. The twenty ships, of the aggregate capacity of 6232 tons, and manned by 4572 seamen, captured only 126,628 Seals, of the net value of £32,564, as compared with 187,516 Seals, valued at £55,362, in the previous season, itself a very disastrous one. In addition to these about 22,000 were got by the schooners, but the catch is said to have been the worst for eighty years, with the exception of that of 1864. The 'Aurora' heads the list with 27,941, followed by the 'Iceland' (23,014), and the 'Newfoundland' (15,102). These are the only three vessels which exceeded 15,000 Seals. Two others—the 'Nimrod,' with 14,042, and the 'Harlaw,' with 11,614—exceeded 10,000 each; but the remaining fifteen vessels only averaged 2327 each. The 'Mastaff' had the misfortune to be jammed in the ice inside Cape Ray, and only secured 264 Seals. The 'Iceland' and the 'Nimrod' made second trips for 939 and 453 Seals respectively.
The failure of the voyage appears to be due to a variety of causes, the chief of which perhaps was the prevalence of stormy weather, and the consequent unfavourable condition of the ice. It is also thought that the Seals are not so numerous as formerly, but with regard to this there is considerable divergence of opinion; also that the young Harps took to the water earlier than usual this season, owing to the disruption of the ice. There is no doubt, however, that with two or three exceptions the steamers sought the Seals too far to the north. Formerly the sealing steamers all cleared from St. John's, but of late years they have in increasing numbers been taking their departure from more northerly ports; the wisdom of this course appears to be open to
