From: Seal Alert-Sa
Subject: Why Is Namibia Culling A
Declining Seal Population
Date: June 28, 2007 9:49:43 AM
Dear All Cape
fur seal supporters,
Below is a letter I have emailed and faxed to
the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries. Could you in an effort to stop
the cull of these baby Cape fur seals, print-out a copy and either
email it, or better still fax to it the Namibian Ministry,
Attention Permanent Secretary Nongula Mbako on + 264 61 233 286 or
+ 264 61 224 566 or use the emails below.
Or, use these links for local
embassies, http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/namibia1.html and
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=Namibia+Embassies&btnG=Search&meta
Please, Thank you.
For the Seals, Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
----- Original
Message -----
From:
Sealalert
To:
secretary@namibia.org.za ;
namibia@un.int ;
lmupetami@mweb.com.na ;
aiyambo@mfmr.gov.na ;
ambanga@mfmr.gov.na
Sent:
Thursday, June
28, 2007 7:46 AM
Subject:
Why
Is Namibia Culling A Declining Seal
Population
Seal Alert-SA Press Release, 28th June 2007
Dear Minister Abraham Iyambo or the
Permanent Secretary Nangula Mbako, could you please answer the
below questions?
2 Days to Go to the
Start of Namibia's Annual Pup Cull,
Why Is Namibia
Culling A Declining Seal Population
In
1977, the 173 member countries of the United Nations Convention In
Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) listed Cape fur seals as an
Appendix II endangered species.
The Namibian Ministry of
Fisheries and Marine Resources claims to harvest its Seal
Population (90% pup based), based on a provision in the
Constitution which allows for the sustainable use of natural
resources.
The Oxford English Dictionary
states. Sustainable - "able to be sustained - avoiding depletion of
natural resources".
Since independence in 1990,
Namibia's pup population (upon which the whole population is based)
has declined
from 196 689 pups (1989) to
163 141 pups (2004).
Population surveys supplied by
- [1989 pup population supplied by the Commission on Sealing pg.52
and 2004 pup population supplied by Dr C Augustyn, Chief Director:
Research, Antarctica and Islands at Marine and Coastal Management
(MCM) - "Independent studies by a UCT researcher who has prepared a
model on the current population estimates derived from aerial
surveys over 33 years from 1972 to 2004"]
Clearly Namibia's annual cull
of its pups and bull seals is not
sustainable.
Since South Africa stopping
its commercial seal culling operations in 1990. The total South
African seal population has remained
stable, with 105
101 pups (1989) to 105 345 pups (2004). Clearly proving that after
fourteen (14) years of not culling seals, that no cull is
needed.
A cull is a scientific term
used in terrestrial wildlife conservation to control (reduce) a
wild population of animals in a restricted or fenced-in area. Its
purpose should be once-off, humane and have no basis for an annual
commercial harvesting industry.
Last year, on 9 October 2006 (during
the Namibian seal culling season), the Namibian Ministry of
Fisheries released the following Media Release, headed, "Current
Seal Mortalities Along the Namibian Coast" (see attached).
Acknowledging very clearly by its own researchers that the seals in
large numbers were dying from starvation. Described by one seal
rights holder, Mr. Gys Cilliers of Seal Products, "confirmed that
seal mortality matched that of the 1994 disaster year" (where one
half of the seal population in Namibia starved to death).
Why then did the Minister Abraham Iyambo
recommend to the Namibia Cabinet to increase the 2006 pup cull
>from 60 000 (2005) to 85 000 pups (2006)?
Why if the whole Namibian pup
population surveyed in 2004, was 163 141 pups, of which 122 355
(75% of the population) pups occurs on the two mainland seal
culling colonies at Wolf/Atlas Bay and Cape Cross, of which
(scientifically), these pups would experience a natural mortality
of 30% within first year. Leaving at most 85 649 pups alive at the
start of the 2006 sealing season on July 1, would the Namibian
Ministry of Fisheries award an increased pup quota of 85 000 (that
would harvest all the pups, 100%), excluding the mass mortality
factors from starvation that occurred as well in 2006, under a
sustainable use policy? This needs to be seriously
answered?
With the Namibian seal population
(scientifically) in decline since 1990, why is Namibia continuing
its annual pup cull?
Seal Alert-SA requests the Namibian
Ministry to satisfactorily answer this question, before announcing
its seal culling quota for 2007.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
Tel/Fax 27-21-790 8774
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Tel : (021) 790
8774
Fax: (021) 790 8774
E-Mail :
sasealion@wam.co.za
Website : WWW.SealAlert.co.za
Ref: Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
26th June
2007
His
Excellency
Wibard Hellao
High Commission of the Republic of Namibia
702 Church Street
Pretoria
South Africa
Your Excellency
PUBLIC
CALL FOR NAMIBIA TO ANNOUNCE A MORATORIUM ON SEAL CULLING
POLICY
I refer to your letter dated 14 September 2006 (ref 1/3/8) in
response to the public protests and deposition by Seal Alert-SA
against the culling of seals at the coast of Namibia.
Statements made by the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries in your
official press release dated 10 July 2006 (referred to in your
letter) have proven to be incorrect when the Minister awarded the
largest cull on record of 85 000 seal pups for the 2006 sealing
season. The Namibian Ministry of Fisheries official press release
dated 9 October 2006, headed, “Current Seal Mortalities Along The
Namibian Coast”, clearly refute statements made in the 10 July
release.
Clearly the seals suffered their 7th mass mortality from
starvation, matching that of the 1994 disaster year. As reported
publicly by one of your own seal rights holder, Mr. Gys Cilliers of
Seal Products. Stating, “When we started the harvesting season in
July, the seals were already skinny. Conceded that Seal Products
could not meet their pup quota. Harvesting season had to be
suspended, for beaches to be cleaned and for dead seals to be
buried. The season for pup culling ended early, there simply are
not any more pups. Mr. Cilliers confirmed that seal mortality
matched that of the 1994 disaster year”.
Clearly the Namibian Seal stock is not
healthy, as incorrectly stated
by the Ministry. Nor too, is the Cape fur seal population
not
endangered. The 173-member
countries of the UN/Cites (Convention in Trade of Endangered
Species) listing of Cape fur seals under Appendix II on their
endangered species list, would clearly disagree.
Namibian Fisheries Minister Abraham
Iyambo in his Annual Address to the Fishing Industry on February
20, 2006 stated very clearly the following. 2006 should be a year
we focus on, "Restricting the level of fishing effort" and
"Continue with responsible management and conservation of our
fisheries resources".
Although stating clearly in a
letter to Seal Alert-SA that Namibia's "harvesting operations of
seals is governed by the regulations of Marine Resources Act of
2001". He then increased the sealing pup quota from 60 000 to 85
000 and then, half-way through sealing season issuing another
letter on 9 October 2006, "Current seal mortalities along the
Namibian Coast". Where sealers themselves were unable to meet this
quota, stopped harvesting operations to bury dead seal corpses
(half the seal population died) and could find no more pups to
kill, hardly sounds like, "restricting fishing effort, responsible
management or conservation of this endangered fisheries resource",
now does it?
In his Annual Address, Minister
Iyambo further stated, New Fishing
Rights - "Biological data
indicate no need for new
rights" and "There is a
general need to decrease effort on all established
commercial fisheries". Announcing,
"Moratorium on new
rights for at least next 5 years". He said, "A total of
33 rights of exploitation due expire end 2007, these rights
include 2
sealing rights".
Minister Iyambo set last year's 2006
sealing quota, at 6000 seal bulls and 85 000 seal pups, shared as
follows between three sealing rights holders. Namibian Venison
& Marine Products a quota to harvest of 38 050, Seal Products
32 950 and Cape Cross Seals 20 000.
As Cape Cross Seals is a relatively new
entrant into seal harvesting, clearly therefore the two established
sealing rights holders, Namibian Venison & Marine
Products and Seal Products, rights
expire in 2007.
Holding Minister Iyambo to his National Address,
these two sealing rights holders cannot be renewed, as there is
a moratorium
on new rights for at least the next 5 years.
This would effectively end Namibia's sealing
industry, and the Minister should announce an end publicly, before
the start of the 2007 baby seal culling season, which normally
starts on July 1.
In light of the fact, that as Namibia’s sealing quota is ninety
percent (90%) pup based, that the US has banned imports of baby
Cape fur seal products since 1971, as well as Mexico, and more
recently Croatia, Belgium and Italy. As well as the fact that since
1983, the European Union has banned baby seal product imports, as
well as the sealing countries themselves (Canada, Russia, Norway
and Greenland) writing into their sealing regulations the banning
on taking nursing baby seals in a harvest since 1987.
The Namibian Ministry should urgently consider ending its pup
culling policy. As they are the only country in the world to
currently cull endangered nursing baby seals.
As the four largest and most importance incoming tourist countries
to Namibia, (US, Italy, Germany and Netherlands) have all recently
introduced specific legislation banning Cape fur seal product
imports. Their condemnation via their legislation should be
noted.
As too, should South Africa’s decision in 1990, to stop culling,
which since has seen no further increase in the seal population or
a need to cull the seal population.
Seal Alert-SA trusts the Minister will honour his statements made
in his Annual Address (20 February 2006), and maintain the
moratorium on new fishing rights, thereby ending the sealing rights
of two of the three sealing rights holders. To which effectively,
Namibia should then end its Seal Culling policy.
We ask that the Namibian Cabinet is made immediately aware of these
incorrect remarks by the Minister, the changes that have since
occurred, as too, the recent banning by Germany and the
Netherlands, and to then receive an official reply on your seal
culling policy.
Confirmation that these two sealing rights, will not be
renewed.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
