South Georgia has been the site of a controlled commercial sealing industry since 1909. The Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina) is killed for the oil obtained from the processing of the skin and subcutaneous fat, in a manner similar to the processing of whale blubber.

The island is divided into four sealing divisions, each with an annual catch quota which is subject to revision if necessary at the completion of each season, depending on information obtained from the average age of the catch, and an annual population census. There are also reserve areas, in which commercial killing is prohibited and which provide controls for comparison between commercially exploited herds and those which are undisturbed. The latter begin to breed an earlier age, reach their peak breeding period earlier and bear a smaller ratio of cow to bull calves than the former. The total kill permissible over the last decade has remained at 6000 adult bull seals over 3·5 m in length. At present, the catch quotas in each division are as follows: