MCM in Mass
Seal-Death Cover-up, Illegal Killing of Seals At Elands Bay, Going
on for Years!
days
old baby seal pup found strangled by rope - after picture was
published in Die Burger newspaper
Department of Environmental Affairs official is filmed removing
"the evidence" in an attempt to conceal these illegal seal
killings
On
Friday 4 January 2008, Sapa reported that Theressa Frantz of Marine
and Coastal Management, Director for offshore and high seas
fisheries, under whose mandate Seal Protection falls, stated that
none of the 100-150 dead seals had been clubbed, strangled or shot
illegally, and that the cause of their death was natural.
Seal Alert-SA who has monitored this colony
since 2001, on a yearly basis, disputes these official
findings.
cracked
open pup skull
Cracked open seal skulls are not natural causes of death, nor is
strangulation via a rope around a baby seal's neck tied firmly to a
rock, nor is .22mm bullet shell casings found alongside dead seals
in previous years.
Seal Alert-SA further questions, why MCM
and SPCA are only investigating this incident following the
publication of the strangulation of the seal pup photograph in the
Die Burger newspaper, when they are well aware this carnage and
killing of seals occurs annually at Elands Bay. Whereby by the end
of March, each year the seal colony is completely eradicated.
Professor Andy Smith of the Archaeological
department has found evidence that the bushman cave directly above
the Elands Bay seal colony used seal pups, with the seal bones
dating back over 10 000 years, making this seal colony the oldest
known, and culturally very significant.
In further damning evidence of MCM attempt
at a cover-up a department official was photographed removing the
evidence of this seal pup being killed via strangulation.
Seal Alert-SA presented evidence of these
seal killings at Elands Bay as far back as 12 December 2004, in a
program aired nationally on 50/50.
In even further damning evidence against
MCM's disregard for the conservation and protection of these CITES
listed endangered seal species. Seal Alert-SA presents a sworn
Affidavit by a member of the public dating back to 2000. In which
she not only found that seals had been shot illegally but had also
collected the .22mm gun-shell casings found alongside these seals.
Furthermore in her statement she states that Inspector Johnny Spens
of MCM informed her that he was well aware seals were being shot at
Elands Bay and that he had difficulty catching the
perpetrators.
The question to therefore address to
Theresa Frantz of MCM, if even her own inspectors is aware of the
shooting and clubbing of seals, why is MCM attempting to cover-up
this annual illegal carnage of these endangered seals at Elands
Bay. Could it be that the crayfish factory alongside deems this
seal colony as something undesirable.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
27-21-790 8774
