From: sasealion@wam.co.za
Subject: Namibia Sealing Industry - Missing Scientific Data
Date: August 6, 2006 9:52:27 PM GMT+01:00
Dear All,
This is my 3rd request to CITES - please see charts below. Although no message from CITES has been received - I understand they are meeting in this regard and a reply will be forthcoming this week. Thank you all for your support in this very urgent of matter. If we are to halt and end this genocide slaughter of these pups we have to do so now - Francois.
Contact Numbers :
◦ Cites Secretariat - Deputy Secretary-general Jim Armstrong +41 (22) 917 8127
◦ Cites Animal Committee - Dr Edson Chidziya +263 (4) 79 27 86
----- Original Message -----
From: SealAlert-SA
To: natparks@africaonline.co.zw ; mostmahm@lycos.com ; research@kws.org ; abdelhamidkarem@yahoo.fr
Cc: willem.wijnstekers@cites.org ; jim.armstrong@cites.org ; john.sellar@cites.org ; marie-france.barreto@cites.org ; marceil.yeater@cites.org
Sent: Sunday, August 06, 2006 8:09 PM
Subject: Namibia Sealing Industry - Missing Scientific Data
Dear CITES Animals Committee and the Secretariat,
I refer to the article by Eleanor Momberg published in the national Sunday Independent (below) and the article published in the Windhoek Observer by Donna Collins (see attached - below note aap). Please see below as well as further relevant details and charts.
I refer to the Sealing Industry of Namibia in regard to
Arctocephalus pusillus (Cape fur Seals).
Could you please review the Table #1 by Seal Alert-SA.
In the Commission on Sealing in 1990 -
which resulted in South Africa stopping its sealing policy on the
same species, it stated;
◦
"If the objective is the reduction of the total seal population,
the most efficient way to achieve this is to cull the adult
females; however, it must be appreciated that the products from
such a cull have negligible economic value, so that such an
operation will not be self-financing".
Since Namibia's independence in 1990 - its
Sealing Industry has consisted of a Pup and a Bull Quota - No adult
Cows are harvested.
◦
As an Appendix II species - An export permit may be issued only
if the specimen was legally obtained and if the export will not be
detrimental to the survival of the species.
◦
Minister Abraham Iyambo of the Namibian Fisheries and Marine
Resources has stated Seals are harvested in Namibia in accordance
with Article 95 (1) of our Constitution which requires the State to
adopt policies aimed at "the utilization of living natural
resources on a sustainable basis for the benefit of all
Namibians"
Dr B.J van Zyl of the Ministry of
Fisheries has stated the following;
◦
"The Challenge of the new regulations - .... regarding the use of
the whole carcass was met and new products, markets and techniques
were developed".
◦
"Population surveys are carried out in the period 18-24 December
each year when the oldest pups are less than 6 weeks of age".
◦
"Since 1987 the Marine Mammal Section of the Directorate of
Resource Management has had the task of advising the Ministry on
management of the seal population, and of recommending harvest
levels annually for the different colonies".
◦
"Recommended pup harvests may be as high as 30% of pups
born".
◦
"Scientific recommendations are submitted in confidentiality to the
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries during June each
year. After review, recommendations are then forwarded to the
Minister of Fisheries for consideration and amendment before
submission to Cabinet".
◦
The two largest breeding aggregations, Cape Cross, and Wolf/Atlas
Bay colonies are responsible for 75% of the Namibian pup
production".
Could you therefore please review the below Table #1 - Could CITES
please therefore ensure that all
vacant blocks and its data is accumulated and filled
in.
SEAL
ALERT-SA NAMIBIAN SEALING INDUSTRY AVAILABLE
DATA
◦
Pup Production - the pup population on the sealing colonies of Cape
Cross and Wolf/Atlas Bay revealed in their annual surveys during
the 18-24 December.
◦
Natural Mortality - Based on the natural mortality experienced
by pups since birth and by July 1.
◦
Mass Die-Off Starvation - The total number of pups that died in
these sealing colonies, for each year, between 1990 - 2006,
excluding the natural mortality of 25-32% (the mass die-off
incidents reported of starvation).
◦
Pups alive July 1 - The total number of "sealing" pups still alive
in these sealing colonies on July 1.
◦
Pup Quota - The Namibian TAC pup quota for each year.
◦
Exported Skins - The total number of exported pup skins for each
year.
◦
CITES Exports - CITES approved exports of these pup skins for each
year.
◦
Exported Carcasses - The total bodies, gall bladders, live, meat,
oil, skin pieces, skulls and trophies exported each
year.
◦
Bull Quota - The total bull quota for these sealing colonies per
year.
◦
Exported Penises - The total number of penises exported per
year.
I refer to your Table enclosed in your report of the CITES
Animals Committee Meetings in 2004.
Minister Iyambo has stated prior to the
commencement of the sealing seasons in 2000 and 2006 when he
increased the sealing quotas;
◦
Pup production in 2000 - was 10% below pre-1993 levels.
◦
Pup production in 2006 - was 27% below pre-1993 levels.
Clearly from these two statements the Namibian
seal population has since 1993 - not been able to support a
"utilization of a living resource on a sustainable basis"
under its Constitution and under the regulations of the United
Nations of CITES for Appendix II species, "An export permit may
be issued only if the specimen was legally obtained and if the
export will not be detrimental to the survival of the
species".
Could you please reply to my emails dated 24th July and the 4th
August 2006, in similar connection thereto.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
- - - - - - -
From: "SealAlert-SA" <<a
href="mailto:sasealion@wam.co.za"
rel="self">sasealion@wam.co.za>
Date: August 3, 2006 8:09:12 PM GMT+01:00
To: <<a
href="mailto:Johannesburg.Radio@ard.de"
rel="self">Johannesburg.Radio@ard.de>, "Elma Robberts"
<<a href="mailto:paper01@iway.na"
rel="self">paper01@iway.na>, <<a
href="mailto:news@namibian.com.na"
rel="self">news@namibian.com.na>, "donnanews" <<a
href="mailto:donnanews@africaonline.com.na"
rel="self">donnanews@africaonline.com.na>, "Eleanor Momberg"
<<a href="mailto:eleanor.momberg@inl.co.za"
rel="self">eleanor.momberg@inl.co.za>, <<a
href="mailto:sara@capetalk.co.za"
rel="self">sara@capetalk.co.za>, <<a
href="mailto:penny@carteblanche.co.za"
rel="self">penny@carteblanche.co.za>, <<a
href="mailto:truth@sabc.co.za" rel="self">truth@sabc.co.za>,
<<a href="mailto:fionam@mg.co.za"
rel="self">fionam@mg.co.za>, <<a
href="mailto:suntimes@sundaytimes.co.za"
rel="self">suntimes@sundaytimes.co.za>, <<a
href="mailto:jurgensa@sundaytimes.co.za"
rel="self">jurgensa@sundaytimes.co.za>, "Nellie Brand"
<<a href="mailto:NBrand@dieburger.com"
rel="self">NBrand@dieburger.com>, <<a
href="mailto:tmenges@kaapseson.com"
rel="self">tmenges@kaapseson.com>, "Elise Tempelhoff"
<<a href="mailto:eliset@beeld.com"
rel="self">eliset@beeld.com>, "Bienne Huisman" <<a
href="mailto:HuismanB@sundaytimes.co.za"
rel="self">HuismanB@sundaytimes.co.za>, "Melanie-Ann Feris"
<<a href="mailto:MFeris@citypress.co.za"
rel="self">MFeris@citypress.co.za>, <<a
href="mailto:duncan@sapa.org.za"
rel="self">duncan@sapa.org.za>, "christof" <<a
href="mailto:christof@namibian.com.na"
rel="self">christof@namibian.com.na>, "Zemburuka, I"
<<a href="mailto:izemburuka@nbc.com.na"
rel="self">izemburuka@nbc.com.na>, <<a
href="mailto:newsroom@etv.co.za"
rel="self">newsroom@etv.co.za>, <<a
href="mailto:noseark@noseweek.co.za"
rel="self">noseark@noseweek.co.za>, "Slager, Seije" <<a
href="mailto:s.slager@trouw.nl"
rel="self">s.slager@trouw.nl>, <<a
href="mailto:joy@carteblanche.co.za"
rel="self">joy@carteblanche.co.za>, <<a
href="mailto:daley@nytimes.com"
rel="self">daley@nytimes.com>
Cc: <<a
href="mailto:willem.wijnstekers@cites.org"
rel="self">willem.wijnstekers@cites.org>, <<a
href="mailto:jim.armstrong@cites.org"
rel="self">jim.armstrong@cites.org>, <<a
href="mailto:john.sellar@cites.org"
rel="self">john.sellar@cites.org>, <<a
href="mailto:marie-france.barreto@cites.org"
rel="self">marie-france.barreto@cites.org>, <<a
href="mailto:marceil.yeater@cites.org"
rel="self">marceil.yeater@cites.org>
Subject: Seal
Extermination Program - Namibia Style
Dear All Seal Supporters,
Attached (see below note aap) is the
article by Donna Collins of the Windhoek Observer in
Namibia.
It is distributed and therefore read on
Namibian's inter - national airlines, amongst other places -
if it persuades or re-directs potential tourists to take their
hard earned holidays in another country more akin to
protecting than exterminating their wildlife - then Namibia's
Sealing Industry is a liability and not a benefit. If it convinces
just 200 potential tourists annually to stay away from Namibia
- Sealing becomes a major liability.
Seal Extermination
Program - Namibian Style
In the Commission on Sealing in 1990 - which resulted
in South Africa stopping its sealing policy on the same species, it
stated;
"If the objective is the reduction of the total seal population,
the most efficient way to achieve this is to cull the adult
females; however, it must be appreciated that the products from
such a cull have negligible economic value, so that such an
operation will not be self-financing".
Not
self-financing - and therein lies the dilemma of the
Namibian sealing industry. The seals must pay for their own
slaughter !
Hence the Sealing quota for 2006 of 85 000 pups and
6000 bulls and no
adult females.
Albert Brink of Sealion Products, a sealer with 20
years in the industry and the man behind the increased quota from
65 000 to 85 000 - claims he is just a farmer. "View it as another
type of farming - we kill sheep and cattle everyday - so why not
seals" ?
If either one of us - took just one Cape fur seal
home to love and keep as a pet. Within minutes we would have an
armed troop of NSPCA, WWF, IFAW, South African Police Services and
SA government conservation officials banging down our door - just
for, one Cape fur seal. Albert Brink can kill 85 000 nursing baby
seals every year and everything is fine - he is "farming".
If I rescue and save the life of a dying baby seal,
incurring over R4000 in feed costs alone, and over 2000 hours
raising this pup - I can claim no ownership or exploitation rights.
Albert Brink on the other-hand, can come along wait for nature to
carry all the costs to grow this nursing pup (to a sealing age),
and then club its brains out and sell its skin for just US $3 - and
then claim he is a "Seal Farmer".
If he had even half the costs I have or any other
"commercial farmer" - How much would he have to sell each baby
seal's skin for - R2000, R4000 or R6000, instead of his usual $3.
Why should he alone be allowed this "exclusive profit" on these
terms? If he had a market for 85 000 skins (as he wanted the
increased quota) - would he be so keen to feed 85 000 seals at
R4000 each to bring them to "market" and sell them for $3 ? How
long would this "Seal Farmer" stay in the seal farming business in
this way?
If he sold them for the costs normally incurred by
commercial farmers - would there be any market at all for Cape fur
seal skins, at R2000 a skin ?
Or - is this just a Namibian government Seal
Termination Program - Like Hitler's extermination attempt of the
Jews. Is Brink - the SS and his factory - the "gas chambers"
and the mainland colonies - the "concentration camps" and the seal
skins - the "gold tooth fillings" ? Afterall was Namibia not
formerly a German controlled territory, and did these mainland seal
colonies not start at the same time Hitler invaded Poland
?
The answer to this, lies in Brink's own words to a
reporter - "I am carrying out orders on
behalf of the Ministry of Fisheries".
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
*.*.*
Seal clubbing gets
Flack from world
Animal groups
Donna
Collins
In a major effort to
end the last baby seal hunt on earth, which is currently taking
place in Namibia, Seal Alert-SA and animal activist supporters will
be holding a legal protest this Friday outside the Namibian High
Commission in Pretoria to demonstrate and call a halt to this mass
killing.
"
I
have urged the Namibian Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Mr Abraham Iyambo to use this opportunity to come in line with
international standards and norms and like South Africa did in 1990
- and announce the end to sealing," said Francois Hugo (Seal Alert
SA).
To date an estimated 20 000 nursing pups have been clubbed to death
since the official start of the Namibian 2006 Seal harvest season
granted by the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources on 1
July.
And with approximately 630 baby seals and bulls clubbed, stabbed
and shot to death daily in what has been dubbed the biggest and
cruelest hunting the world. International animal rights groups are
outraged and pushing for an end to the slaughter.
Seal Alert-SA is supported in this call to "End the Last Baby
Seal
Hunt on Earth" by over 12 million supporters from organizations
and
Individuals in over 140 countries around the world.
An anti-seal cull demonstration staged outside the Namibian Embassy
in London, coupled by glaring headlines and images of sealers
swinging their clubs against the heads of the innocent printed in
international media, is marring Namibia's image.
The actual ‘official’ figures of the cull is unknown, according to
Hugo who has been dubbed the "seal man" but he reckons that if the
Ministry is to reach its quota of 85 000 by Nov 15, then they must
kill at least 630 seals every day - and by this week the death toll
on nursing pups will be at least 20 000.
Making mention to Albert Brink who runs the Cape Cross culling
operation, Hugo called Brink a “killer” in one of his emotional
outbursts, saying. “The man is a killer of nursing baby seals -
that is not "sealing" and he should be ashamed of himself”.
Meanwhile Brink a Namibian seal concessionaire cancelled an
interview with the Observer reporter at short notice who requested
a tour of the factory and comment on the sealing.
He is the owner of a high tech Sea Lions factory at Henties Bay,
which markets products made from the
thousands of seals killed each year at the coast.
With the export
of different parts, as well as an abbetoire and processing plant
with laboratories for the bottling and manufacturing of oils,
capsules, creams and cosmetics, a tannery, a shoe factory, a
leatherwear factory, a canning factory, a research laboratory, he
has a thriving business.
Brink
was behind the increased sealing quota of 60 000 to 85 000 to meet
the demands of the industry.
"We must look at
the sustainability of the industry and view it as another type of
farming," he said. "I mean what is
the problem - we are killing sheep and cattle every day - so why
not seals."
“I’ve been dealing with this for 20 years, and the whole thing is
blown out of proportion by the media,” said Brink adding. “Just go
to an abattoir and see how much blood there is - why just because
it is a bunch of seals, is there such a commotion,” Brink told the
reporter over the phone.
Hugo slammed this saying seals are wildlife and their plight of
starvation and annual clubbing reflects a long sad tale of
mismanagement, abuse and interference with nature's balance.
He said that Brink is making money out of the country’s natural
resources and only thinks of his pocket, nothing else. “How can you
compare the clubbing of thousands of seals to the cattle industry,”
he stated.
“Firstly a sheep farmer buys his land and sheep, pays for their
feed and medication, plus breeds them for this purpose and then
kills them in a Controlled way (not even sheep breed for slaughter
gets clubbed over the head - no farmer in his right mind kills his
nursing baby calves) why -because he would go out of
business.
"Seals are not bred
to be slaughtered
they are wildlife"
“Seals are protected marine mammals, who belong to everybody and
are not there for just for Brinks financial greed," he slammed.
"And seals are not bred to be slaughtered they are wildlife.
“If Brink, wants to slaughter seals, buy some land, fence it, buy
seals, feed them, medicate them, be responsible for any disease
out-breaks - keep them confined.
“If he can then run a profitable business on these terms alone -
good for him.
“But till then seals belong to everybody and everyone will have a
say in how they are protected and killed.
“I am only getting started, but I am going to put an end to
Namibia’s seal culling for once and for all,” said Hugo. "Namibia
is the only sealing country to still kill commercially baby nursing
seal pups and we must end it now."
On July 1, Namibia started its annual harvest of 85 000 pups and
6000 bulls.
Minister Abraham Iyambo of the Namibian Fisheries and Marine
Resources has stated that seals are harvested in Namibia in
accordance with Article 95 (1) of the Constitution which requires
the State to adopt policies aimed at "the utilization of living
natural resources on a sustainable basis for the benefit of all
Namibians".
The Namibian 2006 seal pup production is according to Minister
Iyambo is 27% below pre-1993 population levels and this year's TAC
(Total Allowable Catch) pup quota is 68% higher than 1994
quota.
Since Namibia's independence in 1990 - the Cape fur seals in
Namibia have experienced mass die-offs from starvation and or
disease in 1994, 1995, 2000
and 2001, and in 2006 and claims are made that the population has
still not recovered.
Meanwhile the Clubbing season which ends in November to make sure
the quota for 2006 of 85 000 nursing pups and 7 000 bulls is filled
is in full swing at Cape Cross as well as the restricted areas of
Wolf and Atlas Bay.
The Observer reporter spoke to a Simon
Pope from a large animal rights organisation presently visiting the
country who previously visited Cape Cross during the culling
season. Explaining in gruesome detail how it works. "It's not a
pretty sight". And to quote him he said. "The animals are chased
into a corridor by two groups of clubbers who bash away at these
creatures heads - hopefully to cause instant death - but I doubt
that always.
"You can imagine how accurate the blows must be after swinging that
club for a couple of hours - their arms get pretty tired I am
sure," he said cynically.
"This is still considered the cruelest method by world standards -
and when they have finished their nasty business they cover the
blood splattered beach sand with more sand so the tourists can walk
in and view the lovely seal colony.
"I had the misfortune of stepping into one of these freshly covered
area's and was up to my ankles in blood. Many people in Europe
won't come to a place where the people are hammering their animals
to death, so it must have an effect on the country's tourism I am
sure."