Chronology of Events

Clinton Abbott Biography

Sea Lion Devastation
  -Chronology of Events
    1937
    1938
    1939
    1940 and Beyond
  -About Sea Lions
  -About Elephant Seals
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January 1938
A month after learning of the situation, Abbott had little success to show. The Ross company refused to answer his requests for information while the Mexican Government was slow to respond to inquiries made by both Howell and Abbott. One encouraging development occurred when the powerful American Humane Association pledged their support.

Abbott was beginning to refine his approach to the situation, though. Sensing that appealing to the Ross Company’s ethical sensibility would be a hard fight, Abbott began to pursue any potential legal action that could be taken. Realizing the possibility that elephant seals could be killed in a case of mistaken identity with the sea lions, he pressured the Mexican government to revoke the concession while informing the California Fish and Game commission that a protected species was being killed for sale in the state.

February 1938
February was a month of success for Abbott. On the 10th, the Mexican Fish and Game commission, feeling the pressure from Abbott’s letter writing campaign and eager to prevent the death of elephant seals, refused the Ross Company’s request to renew its commission. While Abbott was initially “none too optimistic” that the slaughter had stopped, records show that for the time being, the Mexican government did live up to their word.

The campaign was also mentioned in the Natural History Museum’s bulletin for the first time, leading to a “storm” of protest from the society’s membership. Realizing the power of galvanizing the society’s membership through print, Abbott also began to worry about potential inaccuracies leading to a libel suit, a common theme in the campaign to come.

March and April 1938
Even after Ross’ concession in Mexico was stopped, Abbott did not end the campaign. Fearing a backdoor concession given the Ross Company by the Mexican government, Abbott continued his inquiries. What he found was disturbing. While the Ross Company was not directly operating in Mexican waters, fishing companies and Mexican contractors had begun to do the hunting instead.

	Dead sea lions on San Benito Beach, April 1938

Howell reported that at times during this period up to 180 sea lions were taken a day. The Ross Company was also said to be looking into whaling again, to supplement sea lion meat in their dog food, after having lost their concession in California.

A bit of progress came late in March, though, when Sumner Welles, then the Assistant Secretary of State, brought up the sea lion issue with the Mexican ambassador in Washington, D.C.

May 1938
While the Ross Company had continued its operations in Mexico in a roundabout fashion since its own concession had been revoked, it had also kept a presence in Mexico City to win that concession back. Upon hearing of this, Abbott and Joseph Sefton, President of the San Diego Society of Natural History, wrote to the Mexican Fish and Game Department detailing their opposition to the company’s operation. Surprisingly, José Breton of the department wrote back, asking that the Society give him an official opinion against the slaughter and giving assurance that the situation would be dealt with.

June 1938
Breton’s request set off a firestorm of activity for Abbott. Promising to give Mexican officials “a little bombardment” of letters from conservation groups throughout the country, Abbott embarked on another letter writing campaign. Numerous agencies, such as the Scripps Institute of Oceanography and the Audubon Society answered Abbott’s call. Warning of the dangers to the ecosystem, to tourism because of sea lion carcasses floating to shore, and to the survival of the elephant seal, the campaign was shortlived, yet effective.

July and August 1938
July of 1938 saw the Ross Company make increasing contact with the Museum. C. E. Matlock, the “contact man” for the Company, made an unannounced visit, warning that he was being sent to Mexico City to personally lobby the Mexican government on Ross’ behalf. A couple of weeks later, the Company secretary made a phone call to Abbott, asking to negotiate so as to avoid any legal problems.

This all proved to be quite disturbing for Abbott. Fearing that his place as a “mere museumist” would not allow him to have as much influence as the businessmen surrounding him, Abbott was still unwilling to change his position on the matter. Adding to his distress was the amount of resources and time that the Ross Company was willing to devote which far outweighed those of his own.

These meetings did yield one very positive result, though. Abbott’s recount of the Matlock meeting fell into the hands of the American Society of Mammalogists’ (ASM) Dr. T. S. Palmer. Palmer, Chairman of the Committee on Marine Mammals, requested Abbott’s presence at the ASM’s national conference and soon a resolution was drawn up by the society to support Abbott’s efforts concerning the sea lion.

September to December 1938
In September, Abbott and W. J. Ross himself, president of the Ross Company, met face to face for the first time. Telling Abbott that he saw him as the “chief obstacle” in regaining his Mexican concession, Ross soon left for Mexico to plead his case personally. Much to the chagrin of Abbott and the Society, Ross was able to work out a deal with the Mexican authorities and resumed hunting sea lions in October.

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