NMFS/Alaska Region/Protected Resources

• Main Author: Mr. Mike Williams
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: Alaska; Northern fur seal
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.363.5866; http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/protectedresources/seals/fur/hor/2006.pdf

The 2006 northern fur seal harvest was similar to last year. I was on St. Paul Island from 14 July through 9 August 2006. The harvest started on 22 July and ended on 8 August. Four harvests were conducted. A total of 396 (last year-479) subadult males were taken this year and one female (06CuA-7, Big Zapadni-28 July 2006) were killed during this time. Seal did not die from hyperthermia. On 22 July a 5-6 year old bull was accidentally killed in the harvest (06CuA-4). Also during that same harvest a SAM was killed that had a fairly severe infected bite wound to the chest; I condemned that carcass for human consumption (06CuA-3). All of the harvests started late again this year, between 1:45PM to 3:26PM in the warmest times of the day. Animals were gathered, handled and killed in a humane fashion at all harvests. The reasons that only 4 harvests were done were multiple. Many of the sealers are also fisherman and were fishing during