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Seals And Hair Seals: These animals all belong to the order Pinni-pedia and are classified in three families: (1) Otariidac, the eared seals (fur seals), and sea lions; (2) Phocidae, the true seals or hair seals and sea elephants or elephant seals; and (3) Odobenidae, walruses. All are related to but differ from the carnivores in the finlike structure of the feet. Of the three families, the hair seals are the most highly specialized for aquatic life. The neck is short and the head can be raised only slightly; there are no external ears ; and the posterior limbs are adapted for swimming to such an extent that these animals move with difficulty on land, whereas fur seals, sea lions and walruses can move with great rapidity in an undulating lope,
Fur Seals.
SEALS AND SEALING. There are worldwide fisheries devoted primarily to the capture and utilization of fur seals and hair seals. Of less importance to these fisheries, but nevertheless objects of the hunt when sufficiently abundant, have been the sea lions, sea elephants, walruses and other marine mammals. The high value of the fur, leather, and oil products of this fishery in world commerce has brought many species perilously close to extinction while others, protected by international agreements and restrictive regulations, continue in abundance.
The most valuable mammals in Greenland's conomy have been the sea mammals—whales nd seals. In the 1920's, climatic changes caused be seals to move north, and Atlantic cod ap-eared off the Davis Strait coast about the same ime. Other fish include halibut and shark (val-able for its liver), and salmon in lakes and treams. There are also shrimp. |
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