The Hague, 20 July 2007
Rt. Hon. Nahas Angula
Prime Minister of Namibia
Dear Mister Nahas Angula,
Action Against Poisoning fights animal poisoning in particular and supports animal protection efforts in general. As we fully agree with the goals, rescue methods and actions of Seal Alert S.A. we have a long standing cooperation with Mr. Francois Hugo. We share his concerns on the sorry plight of a dwindling Cape Fur Seal population. We are deeply concerned about the Cape Fur Seal culling in your country.
It is clear to us that especially the killing of suckling baby seals is against any human morality. The deliberate cruelty reflects a total disdain for animal protection laws and disregard of the value of animal life and probably any life for that matter.
This violation of human morality can never be justified by financial gain or labour policies.
We are convinced that cruelty towards animals breeds the same attitude towards people. It makes killing easy. So if we want to stop wars, we certainly want to stop a callous animal massacre that breeds the mentality to start wars.
For these reasons we beg you to stop the current culling of seals. And we hope that your meeting with Francois Hugo will be fruitful.
With kind regards,
Drs P.M. Donker
Action Against Poisoning
The Hague, The Netherlands
* . * .
*
Sent: Thursday, July
05, 2007 12:45 AM
Subject:
Degradation of
Sustainable Tourism around The Cape
To the managers of the travel agencies:
ANVR, TUI, Koning Aap, Elmar Reizen, Kristof Holidays, Globe
Reisburo, Explore Namibia
Ladies and gentlemen,
For some years we cooperate with François Hugo from Seal Alert
S.A. in South Africa to protect the Cape Fur Seals from extinction.
François Hugo is not only unique in his offshore methods of
treatment and care for rescued seals, but also the best advocate
for this threatened species.
On 1 July 2007 the annual massacre on Cape Fur Seals started
on the beach of the private property of the "De Beers" diamond
industry in Namibia. This massacre is executed on an already
dwindling colony of sick and undernourished protected
animals. On the night of 4 July we have been informed
that already more than 3000 seal babies have been killed. At the
moment the Namibian massacre is the biggest threat for this
species.
Many well-founded protests and - following other countries - a
Dutch notification of an import ban on Cape Fur Seal products,
could not withhold Namibian authorities to destroy unique protected
animals in your beautiful travel destination.
Although your agency might be informed on the situation, it is
interesting for your clients to know that for years South Africa
and Namibia have made life impossible for the Cape Fur Seals. They
have been exiled from the Cape Islands, their natural habitat. In
fact Robben Island has been robbed from its name significance by
government interference.
Although seals have no culinary interest in birds whatsoever, this
government policy has been executed to protect the birds. The real
reason is the protection of the fishing industry interests.
The seals have to survive on the beach or the low rocks at the
waterline before the beaches around The Cape. On the beach they
fall prey to land predators and men. For seals these are
totally unnatural enemies for which they have no ability to defend
or immunity to their diseases. The low rocks do not give adequate
protection either as new generations of seal babies are wiped out
by the high seas in winter storms.
In fact we witness an intentional genocide on the seals. Not
only by the exile from their habitat but also by fishermen shooting
off seals at sea for the fun of it and by the systematic culling of
suckling seal babies and adult animals, the so called "harvesting
of the young growth in a healthy population".
The mere word "harvesting" reflects the moral indifference towards
culling. The fixed quota of the harvest is higher than the present
healthy animals. It will be silent on the beach and the left
carcasses are always a stinking problem. The responsible Namibian
minister offered a solution by encouraging his people to start
eating seal meat, but they don't have the appetite for it. An
otherwise useful suggestion for removing the carcasses as people
can eat something else whilst seals cannot. They are totally
dependent on fish and consequently are more entitled to that
diet than people.
Besides disdain for and destruction of their natural environment we
also notice a remarkable denial and untruthfulness regarding
this systematic massacre:
De Beers assumes an injured innocence but permits the killing on
her private beaches that are not accessible to strangers.
Authorities falsify data on the numbers and health of the seal
population. Rescue and feeding of seals is a penal offence. The
South African minister who started this policy underlined his
destructive disposition by lobbying in The Netherlands for a
massive elephant cull.
Extensive Dutch background information Nederlandse
achtergrondinformatie on the history and actual situation can
be found under this link.
Complementary English information is found in the
website of Action Against
Poisoning.
In our view South African and Namibian authorities are executing an
intentional destructive nature and environmental policy, despite
all protests against the destruction of the seals and requests for
example for the return of the seals to their habitat. The
destruction of a species and its habitat will - not alone by the
deeds but also by the underlying mentality - have its repercussions
on the for these countries extremely important tourist branche. If
a government looses track on its own touristic interests, only the
concerned travel agencies can turn the tide.
We understand that a growing number of travel agencies includes
"sustainable tourism" in their policies bearing in mind the demand
for sustainable tourism and the decay by negligence of some travel
destinalions of great value.
On behalf of Seal Alert S.A. and other animal protection
organisations we call on you to warn Namibia - and regarding among
others Robben Island South Africa as well - that their contempt of
nature in general and the Cape Fur Seals in particular warrants a
boycott of these countries as travel destinations.
We look forward to your reaction.
With kind regards,
Action Against Poisoning
info@actionagainstpoisoning.com
PRESS RELEASE June 26, 2007
Public
Call For Namibia To Announce A Moratorium on Seal Culling
Policy
PLEASE
WRITE TO:
To:
secretary@namibia.org.za
Cc:
namibia@un.int ;
lmupetami@mweb.com.na ;
aiyambo@mfmr.gov.na ;
ambanga@mfmr.gov.na
Dear
Mrs Gray or Mrs Vanhees for attention his Excellency the High
Commissioner Wilbard Hellao,
Attached
letter by Francois
Hugo
Letter sent by Action Against Poisoning 28 June 2007
faxed to :
the Namibian Ministry,
Attention Permanent Secretary Nongula Mbako
on + 264 61 233 286 and + 264 61 224 566
Action
Against Poisoning fights animal poisoning in particular and
supports animal protection efforts in general. We have been
informed on the impending seal cull in Namibia, starting on July 1,
2007.
Like us, the
Namibian authorities have repeatedly and extensively been informed
by Seal Alert S.A. on facts regarding the seal population in that
region, so we will not repeat their fact-based arguments. The facts
about the ill health and dwindling population of the seals and
sealing rights are clear and the arguments against culling are
solid.
Given the actual
facts and arguments we are saddened by the stubborn Namibian policy
to continue the seal culling – against international public opinion
- under the pretext that a massive culling will not harm the seal
population in Namibia. A pretext based on fabricated evidence as we
cannot find any match with the facts.
This
policy reflects a rock bottom respect for animal life and
international animal protection legislation.
We cannot fathom why
the responsible authorities choose to create an image of a
destructive and arbitrary administration earning a few dollars on
seal genocide. A choice that is extremely harmful to the image of
Namibia as a successful emerging tourist
destination.
If Namibia executes
its culling plan we will not hesitate to mobilize our vast network
of animal protection organizations and travel agencies by exposing
this destructive behavior.
We
call on you to stop the intended Namibian seal culling before it
starts on July 1, 2007.
* . * .
*
Letter by HSUS
July 27, 2006
His Excellency Hifikepunye Pohamba
President of the Republic of Namibia
State House, Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Dear President Pohamba:
I am writing on behalf of the more than 9.5 million members and
constituents of The Humane Society of the United States and its
international arm, Humane Society International (HSUS/HSI),
regarding the massive annual Cape fur seal hunt conducted in
Namibia. The HSUS/HSI wrote the Namibian president in 2000
regarding the hunt, but received no reply. We hope your government
will be more responsive.
The HSUS/HSI is aware that your government has issued a Cape fur
seal hunt quota of 85,000 pups for 2006 – this is nearly 80% of the
estimated/surveyed pup production for the season. Indeed, the
hunting season (which was scheduled to start earlier this month)
begins many months after the pupping season does, meaning much of
the natural mortality (as high as 30%) that the seals face as pups
will have already occurred by the time the hunters arrive on the
rookeries. Thus a hunt quota of 80% of the initial pup production
amounts, on paper at least, to a destruction of the entire
remaining reproductive output for the year. Given the die-offs this
population has experienced in previous years and the
ever-increasing hunt quotas the government has issued since the
1990s, this kill level is obviously unsustainable and will
inevitably result in a catastrophic drop in fur seal numbers in the
next few years.
In 1994 this population suffered a massive die-off of 200,000
animals due to local oceanic anomalies, possibly the result of
weather and ocean circulation pattern changes attributed to global
warming. However, the quota for the hunt was not adjusted in any
way to account for these losses, indicating that the management
regime governing this hunt is neither science-based nor risk
averse. In 2000, another die-off occurred, killing at least 300,000
animals, and again the response of the Namibian government was to
be the opposite of precautionary – it extended the hunting season,
allowing directed killing to add to the devastating unusual
mortality the seals suffered that year.
Around the world, seals and sea lions have been suffering from
epizootics of emergent diseases, often caused by species-bridging
pathogens such as canine distemper virus. Organochlorine pollutants
and heavy metals can depress the mammalian immune response; as
levels of these contaminants continue to increase in the marine
environment, it is likely that marine mammal epizootics will also
increase in occurrence. This is far more likely to happen to the
Cape fur seal population than others, as many of the animals are
found within the DeBeers diamond mining region, which no doubt
means contaminated run-off may be affecting the local fur seal food
supply and thus the seals themselves. If an
Page Two
epizootic or another die-off strikes the Namibian fur seal
population on top of the hunt, a disastrous decline could
result.
Now is not the time for any nation to increase its quotas for
marine wildlife hunts. Frankly investing heavily in a fur
seal-based industry at this time seems shortsighted and unwise from
an economic perspective as well as an ecological one. Nature is
unpredictable and many local economies that have attempted to
profit from wildlife hunts have driven themselves to poverty and
the animals to extinction. The HSUS/HSI strongly urges your
government to reduce the quota for Cape fur seals for the rest of
this season and in future seasons, and to eventually phase out the
hunt altogether, allowing the local economy to make an orderly
transition to other sources of income.
Namibia has recently received much positive media attention,
showcasing its beautiful landscapes and family-friendly atmosphere.
It is difficult to reconcile this hospitable image with the
unsustainable and inhumane slaughter of fur seals. This hunt does
not comply with the criteria typically applied to local,
small-scale, artisanal wildlife hunts that many conservationists
support. It is cruelly conducted and its management goals – the
extinction of the fur seal colonies – are archaic. This hunt and
its practices are an anchor dragging Namibia backward as it tries
to move into the 21st century. Please do not
allow your country’s positive image as a haven for those who care
about the environment to be tarnished.
Thank you for your attention to our views on this important
matter.
Sincerely,
Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist
Treaty Law, Oceans and Wildlife Protection
Cc: The Honorable Nahas Angula, Prime
Minister
The Honorable Dr.
Abraham Iyambo, Minister for Fisheries and Marine
Resources
