Chapter 183.
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CHAP. 183.— AN ACT To protect the seal fisheries of Alaska, and for other purposes, April 21, 1910.[[S. 7242](/us/bill/61/s/7242).][[Public, No. 146](/us/pl/61/146).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, That the Secretary of Commerce Alaska seal fisheries, etc.and Labor shall have power to authorize the killing of fur seals Secretary of Commerce and Labor to make regulations for killing, etc., seals.and the taking of sealskins, on the Pribilof Islands, in Alaska, under regulations established by him prescribing the manner in which such killing shall be done and limiting the number of seals to be killed, whenever he shall determine that such killing is necessary or desirable and not inconsistent with the preservation of the seal herd: *Provided, however,* *Provisos.*That under such authority the right of killing fur seals and taking sealskins shall be exercised by officers, agents, or employees Restricted to officials, etc.of the United States appointed by the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, and by the natives of the Pribilof Islands under the direction and supervision of such officers, agents, or employees, and by no other person:
And *provided further,* That male seals only shall be Limitkilled and that not more than ninety-five per centum of three-year- old male seals shall be killed in any one year. Sec.2.That any and all sealskins taken under the authority conferredSales.by the preceding section shall be sold by the Secretary of Commerce and Labor in such market, at such times, and in such manner as he may deem most advantageous; and the proceeds of such sale or sales shall be paid into the Treasury of the United States: *Provided,**Provisio*That the directions of this section, relating to the disposition of seal Subject to future treaties.skins and the proceeds thereof, shall be subject to the provisions of 327any treaty hereafter macle by the United States for the protection of seal life.
Sec.3.That whenever seals are killed and sealskins taken on anyEmployment of Pribilof natives. of the Pribilof Islands the native inhabitants of said islands shall bo employed in such killing and in curing the skins taken, and shall receive for their labor fair compensation, to be fixed from time to Compensation. time by the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, who shall have the authority to proscribe by regulation the maimer in which such compensation shall be paid to the said natives or expended or otherwise used in their behalf and for their benefit.
Sec.4.That section nineteen hundred and fifty-six of the Revised R. S., see. 1956, p. 343, amended. Statutes of the United States and section one hundred and seventy- three of the Act of March third, eighteen hundred and ninety-nine, Vol. 30, p. 1279, amended.be amended to read as follows: “No person shall kill any otter, mink, marten, sable, or fur seal, Killing seals and other fur-bearing animals in Alaska forbidden. or other fur-bearing animal, within the limits of Alaska Territory or in the waters thereof; and every person guilty thereof shall, for each offense, be fined not less than two hundred nor more than one Punishment. thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both; and all vessels, their tackle, apparel, furniture, and cargo found engaged in violation of this section shall be forfeited; but the Permission by Secretary of Commerce and Labor.Secretary of Commerce and Labor shall have power to authorize the killing of any such mink, marten, sable, fur seal, or other fur-bearing animal under such regulations as he may prescribe; and it shall be the duty of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor to prevent the killing Prevention of illegal killing. of any fur seal except as authorized by law and to provide for the execution of the provisions of this section until it is otherwise provided by law.
” Sec.5.That section nineteen hundred and fifty-nine of the Revised Statutes of the United States and section one hundred and seventy- six of the Act of March third, eighteen hundred and ninety-nine, be amended to read as follows: “The Pribilof Islands, including the islands of Saint Paul and Saint George, Walrus and Otter Islands, and Sea Lion Rock, in Alaska, are declared a special reservation for government purposes; and until otherwise provided by law it shall be unlawful for any person to land or remain on any of those islands, except through stress of weather or like unavoidable cause or by the authority of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor; and any person found on any of those islands contrary to the provisions hereof shall be summarily removed and shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or by imprisonment not exceeding six months, or by both fine and imprisonment; and it shall be the duty of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor to carry this section into effect.
” Sec.6.That section nineteen hundred and sixty of the Revised R. S., sec. 1961, p. 344, amended.Statutes of the United States and section one hundred and seventy-seven of the Act of March third, eighteen hundred and ninety-nine Vol. 30. p. 1280, amended. be amended to read as follows: “It shall be unlawful to kill any fur seal upon the Pribilof Islands,Restriction on killing seals.or in the waters adjacent thereto, except under the authority of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, and it shall be unlawful to kill such seals by the use of firearms or by other means tending to drive the seals away from those islands; but the natives of the islands shall Exception to natives.have the privilege of killing such young seals as may be necessary for their own food and clothing, and also such old seals as may be required for their own clothing and for the manufacture of boats for their own use; and the killing in such cases shall be limited and controlled by such regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of Commerce and Labor.” 328 Sec.7.That section nineteen hundred and sixty-one of the RevisedR.S. sec. 1961, p.344, amendedStatutes of the United States and section one hundred and seventy-eightVol.30, p. 1280, amended of the Act of March third, eighteen hundred and ninety-nine, be amended to read as follows:
“It shall be unlawful to kill any female seal or any seal less than Restriction on female or young seals, etc.one year old at any season of the year, except as above provided; and it shall also be unlawful to kill any seal in the waters adjacent to the Pribilof Islands, or on the beaches, cliffs, or rocks where they haul up from the sea to remain; and every person who violates the provisions Punishment. of this or the preceding section shall be punished for each offense by a fine of not less than two hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment not more than six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment; and all vessels, their tackle, apparel, and furniture, whose crews arc found engaged in the violation of either this or the preceding section shall be forfeited to the United States.
” Sec.8.That section one of the Act of December twenty-ninth, Fur seals. eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, be amended to read as follows:Vol. 30, p. 226, amended. “No citizen of the United States, nor person owing duty of obedience Killing, etc., in Pacific Ocean prohibited.to the laws or the treaties of the United States, nor any person belonging to or on board of a vessel of the United States, shall kill, capture, or hunt, at any time or in any manner whatever, any fur seal in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, including Bering Sea and the sea of Okhotsk, whether in the territorial waters of the United States or in the open sea.
” Sec.9.That the Secretary of Commerce and Labor shall have Additional officers, etc., authorized.authority to appoint such additional officers, agents, and employees as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act and the laws of the United States relating to the seal fisheries of Alaska, to Purchase of right of present lessee, etc.prescribe their duties and to fix their compensation; he shall likewise ave authority to purchase from the present lessee of the right to take seals on the islands of Saint Paul and Saint George, at a fair valuation to be agreed upon, the warehouses, salt houses, boats, launches, lighters, horses, mules, wagons, and other property of the said lessee on the islands of Saint Paul and Saint George, including Maintenance of depots, etc. the dwellings of the natives of said islands; he shall likewise have authority to establish and maintain depots for provisions and supplies on the Pribilof Islands and to provide for the transportation of such provisions and supplies from the mainland of the United States to the said islands by the charter of private vessels or by the use of public vessels of the United States which may be placed at his disposal by the President; and he shall likewise have authority to Food, etc., to natives.furnish food, shelter, fuel, clothing, and other necessaries of life to the native inhabitants of the Pribilof Islands and to provide for their comfort, maintenance, education, and protection.
Sec.10.That sections nineteen Laws repealed.hundred and sixty-two, nineteen hundred and sixty-three, nineteen hundred and sixty-four, nineteen hundred and sixty-five, R. S., sees, 1962-1972, pp. 344-346.nineteen hundred and sixty-six, nineteen hundred and sixty-seven, nineteen hundred and sixty-eight, nineteen hundred and sixty-nine, nineteen hundred and seventy, nineteen hundred and seventy-one, and nineteen hundred and seventy-two of the Revised Statutes of the United States, and all Acts and parts of Acts inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed.Effect.The provisions of this Act shall take effect from and after the first day of May, nineteen hundred and ten; and there is hereby appropriated, Appropriation.out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars for carrying into effect the provisions of this Act.
Approved, April 21, 1910.