Date: July 10, 2007
Open Letter - Namibian Sealing Industry Fails Constitutions of South Africa and Namibia.
Namibian Sealing
Industry,
Fails (Highest Court in Land)
CONSTITUTIONS
South Africa and Namibia
OPEN
LETTER
FISHERY MINISTERS OF
NAMIBIA & SOUTH AFRICA
Namibian Minister of
Fisheries and Marine Resources Abraham Iyambo and South Africa
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Martinus van
Schalkwyk. Please respond publicly to this open letter.
Dated. July 10, 2007
Dear Ministers,
Urgent Request To
Halt 2007 Seal Cull.
Past decade natural mortality of
pups exceeds those pups alive after July 1, and exceeds the annual
set TAC sealing pup quota. Seal population is now significantly
lower than in 1993.
Canadian sealers harvest weaned
pups at 30 per cent of pup production. Namibian sealers harvest
nursing pups 100 per cent plus of surviving pup population.
I draw your attentions this past
weekend to the global public outcry in the international media
regarding Namibia's decision to cull 80 000 nursing baby Cape fur
seal pups (non-fish eaters) rolling for three years to protect fish
stocks. Rodrick Mukumbrira Associated Press Writer's article has
unprecedently been carried in newspapers in Ireland, United
Kingdom, France, Germany, Africa, United States, South Africa,
Namibia, Turkey and Canada to name just a few, and CNN and
FOXNews.
Read full article on Federal Radio in US
http://federalnewsradio.com/?nid=82&sid=1182550.
1. Sustainability.
Scientific research states, pups born in December suffer a 62 per
cent(natural cull) mortality due to declining environmental
conditions by the start of sealing season on July 1.
Subtract 62 per cent >from the
stated 2006 pup population of 185 000 = 70 000 pups alive July 1.
To which an increased quota of 85 000 pups was awarded (2006).
Subtract 62 per cent >from your stated 2007 pup population of
205 500 = 78 000 pups alive July 1. To which you award a
rolling-three year, 80 000 pup quota per year.
1a) Sealing Pup
Quota. Since independence
sealers have failed to reach annual set TAC sealing pup quota,
averaging 60 per cent. By implication quotas are unreachable and
therefore unsustainable. Sealing Pup quotas have increased 300 per
cent in the last decade.
This is not sustainable.
Sealing pup quota in 2006 attempts to harvest 15 000 more seal pups
than alive. It is in fact genocide of all the seal pups.
2.
International
Agreements. South Africa
ratified itself in 1975, and nominated Cape fur seals in 1977 as an
endangered species to the United Nations Convention In Trade of
Endangered Species (CITES). Namibia ratified in 1991. Cape fur
seals Appendix II listing, states their survival is dependent upon
conservation measures.
1990 Commission on Sealing chaired
by John Hanks of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) advisory committee
recommended a unified seal management policy for this single
species of seal (South Africa and Namibia). Signature to the
Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem in realization of the
Reykjavik declaration on Responsible Fisheries in the Ecosystem.
Public Protector of the Republic of South Africa findings are the
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has a
Constitutional obligation to protect and promote the conservation
of the Cape fur seals (November 2005).
Cape fur seal products are banned
>from import in United States of America since 1971, in Mexico,
Croatia, Belgium, Italy, South Africa and most recently in Germany
and Netherlands, your two largest incoming tourist country's. In
violation of USA law, Namibian sealers in 2002 attempted to import
5000 seal skins into US which was seized. South Africa on two
occasions in 2003,criminally convicted importer with skins exported
from Namibian sealers.
Namibia's seal pup quota
sealing policy is in unlawful violation of international
agreements, laws and Cites Convention.
3.
Constitution.
Minister Iyambo claims he is mandated to harvest seal under the
Constitution. Not
true. Under the
Constitution the Ministry is mandated to utilize the seal
resource sustainable. Consumptively or Non-consumptively. He
cannot replace the word utilize with harvest, and as an option
not apply a non-consumptive policy. South Africa has a
non-consumptive seal management policy.
Namibian seal cull is in
unlawful violation of the South African and Namibian Constitution
with regard to sustainability.
4.
Sealing
Rights. Having stated in
your February 2006 Annual Address to the Fishing Industry that,
"Biological data indicate no need for new rights. There is a
general need to decreased effort on all established commercial
fisheries". "Moratorium on new rights for at least next 5 years -
unless a drastic change in resource". "Total of 33 rights of
exploitation due to expire end 2007/early 2008, (of these) 2
sealing rights".
Three sealing companies had
sealing rights in 2006. You are duty bound to expire two of those
Seal Rights in 2007.
On February 14,
1991. The South African Cabinet decided to temporarily suspend all
commercial seal harvesting on the South African
coast.
Stating as its
reasons;
You state, (September 14, 2006), "All adult female seals are either nursing a newborn pup or are pregnant during the seal-harvesting season (July - November 15). Harvesting of females (which is exempt from cull) would endanger the life of new born and unborn pups".
Sealers are forced to club tens of thousands of pups frequently. During the initial stampede to freedom or attempts to reach the safety of the sea. After being dragged semi-conscious to collection site. After being stabbed in the heart. Seal pups after repeated clubbing to head and stabbing in the chest/heart, still breathing and require further clubbing. Time delays of up to an hour between initial blow to head and the final breath. Pups vomit in shock mothers milk after initially blow to head and whilst cutting open chest to reach the heart.
Culling, disturbing and rounding up 80 per cent of the seal population for 139 days is extremely cruel, stressful and is a threat to the species.
6. Population. Most recent scientific information available reveal that the seal population had recovered to 73 per cent of 1993 level (Namibian Ministry, July 10, 2006). Therefore in 2006, the seal population is 27 per cent lower than in 1993. In 2000, a further mass die-off involving 95 per cent of the pups and half the adult seal population, took place after a similar die-off in 1994. A further similar mass die-off occurred after sealing quota 2006 was announced. Unchanged biological conditions indicate a further die-off in 2007.
Sealing country's of Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia introduced a ban on harvesting nursing baby seal pups in their sealing regulations in 1987.
Namibia's annual seal cull is 90 per cent nursing seal pup based.
As a South African, I am duty bound under South African Constitution and within my legal rights to enforce the protection and conservation of the Cape fur seal species, to which you are annihilating.
For the above reasons, we respectfully request a public announcement halting the 2007 seal cull, with immediate effect.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA