To:
STOP-THE-AFRICAN-SEAL-HUNT
Along the oldest desert coastline in the world and the least
populated country on earth has raged a non-traditional foreign
inspired slaughter which has become known as the 'Last Baby Seal
Hunt on Earth'. It has been this way since 1940. So cruel and
against the laws of nature and every known modern method of
harvesting of a living wild animal. That it was banned in the USA
in 1972 and the EU in 1983 and stopped by all the world's remaining
sealing countries of Canada, Greenland, Norway or Russia in
1987.
The United Nations Environmental Protection agency through its
United Nations Convention on the International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES) arm has controlled its 100% exported trade since
1977 in South Africa and since 1991 in Namibia - Cape fur seal pups
still remains the only Appendix II protected species to be exported
and imported legally around the world.
Found nowhere else on earth, except along the coastline of southern
Africa. Although commercial sealing of this species in its living
breeding natural habitat - islands, has between 1486 and 1900,
already driven this species close to extinction - and 98% of its
former breeding, birthing and nursing habitat remains extinct.
South Africa only stopped its sealing practice in 1990.
Namibia now remains the only country on earth to round up nursing
baby seals still suckling on their mother's milk, driving them
in-land away from the safety of the sea, and as they attempt to
flee alongside their mothers back to its safety are clubbed and
stabbed to death by rows of as many as 100 part-time migrant
workers - everyday between July 1 and November 15, each year.
Vomiting up their mother's milk as they slowly die. On just two
mainland seal colonies where 75% of this species unnaturally
remains. Where the Namibian government grants 3 sealing concession
holders the right to club these protected wildlife seals to
death.
Once totalling over 16 million or 3% of the world's current cat and
dog populations. The Cape fur seals are today 5 - 10% of their
former population. Each year between 50 - 100% of its new-born are
rounded up as they reach the age of 7-months and 15 kg's in weight
and are clubbed to death viciously until dead. Millions upon
millions have been slaughtered, not in this traditional age-old
method, not by out of work fishermen, but in a method adapted from
foreigners, who ventured to these shores not so long ago.
This region was once the most productive fisheries in the world.
Within a decade the commercial harvest of fish species dropped from
1.387 million tons to 45 000 tons or 3%. With it caused the start
of mass abortions and starvation of this species of seal - where in
1988, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000 and 2001 - saw between one third to
one half of this species starve to death each year.
The pelts of these baby fur seals is the most prized product of
this species, its average traded international price is less than
one USD dollar. Described also as the cruellest seal hunt on earth,
it is also the most wasteful with 63% of the weight of these pups
and 75% of the weight of these bulls, shot mainly for their
genitals for the far east trade, is discarded - unless sold as
cheap fish-meal to the livestock or pet-food industries at .30
cents a kg.
Although this species has declined over 50% in the last decade and
whose population is today lower than it was in 1982. The Namibian
2006 Sealing quota of 85 000 pups and 5000 bulls, the largest on
record. Will see a total baby seal pup genocide of this species
this year.
By adding your signature to this petition, you are voicing your
international right to a protected marine environment and in so
doing are asking Francois Hugo of Seal Alert-SA to do whatever is
legally required to - Stop-The-African-Seal-Hunt.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seals
Seal Alert-SA
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
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