Seal Fisheries of the Falkland Islands and Dependencies: An Historical Review

This study offers a chronological history of seal fishing in the Falkland Islands and Dependencies from the eighteenth century to the early twenty-first. It concerns the fluctuating seal population due to sealing; the Atlantic and global demand for seal fur and oil; the competition between American, British, and Canadian sealers over the territory’s seal stocks; and the attempts by various ruling governments to prioritise domestic sealing, maintain sufficient seal stocks, and continue to make profit. It is comprised of nine chapters, the first and last chapters of which serve as introduction and conclusion. The study also includes eight appendices presenting tabled statistics, and a select bibliography. The appendices concern seal skin imports into London; vessel details at Puerto Soledad; the value and amount of seal products exported from the Falklands; Canadian sealing vessels entering Port Stanley; seal catch and oil yield in South Georgia; South Georgian seal catch summaries; South Georgian commercial catches by sealing division; and marine mammal products landed in the Newfoundland fisheries region.