NOTES ON THE SEAL AND WHALE FISHERY, 1896.
By Thomas Southwell, F.Z.S.
Man is not the only enemy the breeding Seals have to contend with, and I fear that in the past season the smaller number taken by the sealers off Newfoundland is no indication of the total mortality amongst the "whitecoats," rough weather and the consequent disruption of the ice on which they were brought forth, added to the "rafting" caused by pressure, having probably been accountable for the loss of many more young Seals than were saved from the sealers by the impassable nature of the ice. A severe gale from the N.E. about the 5th and 6th of March, before the fishery commenced, broke up a vast extent of the whelping ice, and doubtless killed or drowned a large number of young Seals; the occurrence in some localities, at the same time, of both fairly matured young ones and others newly born, indicated that some such disturbance had taken place. This same gale also drove the ice into Green Bay, and the presence upon it of a few Seals led to the impression that the main body were in that neighbourhood; this, however, did not prove to be the case, and only had the effect of misleading the vessels in their search. About March 10th, the day on which the fleet sailed, the wind changed to the westward, and very few Seals fell to the Green Bay people.
No steamer struck any large body of Seals, and great difficulty was experienced in approaching those they did secure, owing to the unusually heavy nature of the ice. There were level sheets between very heavy ice, and it was on these that the young Seals were deposited; the "patches" might be from fifteen to thirty miles apart, and unless the steamer struck and was able to reach one of these sheets of whelping ice, her success was very small indeed. The 'Newfoundland' got an early start (some say unfairly) and was fortunate in working to the back of the ice, getting a good catch of old and young Hooded Seals and a few young Harps; she struck the patch on March 13th off Cape St. John, and drifted south with them. The body of the young Harps were nearer the
