North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911

The treaty, signed by the United States, Great Britain (also representing Canada), Japan, and Russia, outlawed open-water seal hunting and acknowledged the United States' jurisdiction in managing the on-shore hunting of seals for commercial purposes.

[3] The treaty also provided an exemption to aboriginal tribes which hunted seals using traditional methods and for non-commercial purposes including food and shelter.

Aboriginal tribes specifically mentioned in the treaty include the Aleut and Aino (Ainu) peoples.

[3] Following ratification, the U.S. Congress enacted an immediate five-year moratorium on hunting, to allow for recovery of the decimated herds.

The treaty remained in effect until hostilities erupted among the signatories in World War II.

The treaty was created to regulate hunting of the Northern fur seal , pictured here.
The fur seal's range. All pelagic sealing north of the 30th parallel in the Pacific Ocean was banned by the treaty.