PIETIE AND HIS FRIEND
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Seal
Alert-SA Press Release, September 20, 2007
Thank you to those that have
written to the DG. Mystery regarding the sudden
disappearance of this good seal ambassador deepens. Blitz
the seal's keeper/guardian is deeply distraught and many
who were opposed to his feeding of this bull seal, feel
threatened that he may seek revenge in a violent or
criminal way.
There is clearly double standards
at play here. Big white-owned businesses who exploit the
seals and tourists alike, by charging them a fee to see the
seals on the nearby offshore island seal colony (the
seal operators) who contribute nothing to seal conservation
from their multi-million dollar profits, were the loudest
group condemning the enterprising activities of Blitz with
this seal.
In turn Marine and Coastal
Management has doubled standards writing into law in 2000
making it a criminal offence to feed a seal, yet permit 16
white-shark cage diving operators to each take out
25kg of bait, with which to tease man-eating sharks, for
the pure pleasure of exploiting both shark and tourists
alike to the tune of millions in profits annually.
Yet when a disadvantaged member of
the locally community, who has been forced to experience
the over-exploitation of the fisheries he grew up in,
attempts to earn a similar and legal means of generating an
income for him and his family in a sustainable way.
Suddenly everybody opposes him.
Is the real reason behind this
seals removal, this competition factor Blitz and his seal,
might have on their existing multi-million profits?
The fact of the matter, is this
seal has been around for years, and there is no recorded
incident of this seal every being aggressive or biting
anyone, although has been repeatedly provoked. Whilst
ordinarily I agree wildlife should not be fed, this was a
unique and special circumstance and relationship. A good
ambassadorial activity in the making for both seals and
humans.
Mike Meyer the MCM official
alleged to be involved in removing the seal and lethally
injecting it. Is well know for his disregard for these
seals welfare. He has repeated blown-up whales that
could have been floated off stranded beaches, and has a
long history of destroying so-called "problem" seals. I
personally have witnessed this many times. In almost every
case, he acted without authority, he was also involved in
permitting a seal exporter to capture and retain live seals
in very small crates, and then assisted in the cover-up and
death of some of these seals. MCM officials had allegedly
told Blitz that they would shoot the seal if he did not
stop feeding it.
Seal Alert-SA contacted Mike Meyer,
where he told me, he had nothing to do with the
removal or killing of this endangered seal. Although he
knows about the seal, he claims he did not kill it or
remove, and has no idea who did. This is somewhat strange,
as another MCM official who works at the Head Office in the
Financial department, told a trader in Hout Bay yesterday,
that Mike Meyer came and captured the seal and injected it.
What is disturbing is that if this
indeed happened, and now MCM Officials are covering it up,
then its clearly wrong. Secondly a local community forum,
representative of the community, harbour and police had
discussed this Blitz/Pietie situation and had come up with
a plan to place a fence around Blitz and the seal. To allow
him to continue earning an income whilst the public
remained safe. Last, from my experience with thousands of
bulls, at this time of year, bulls return to offshore
colonies, living of their fat reserves, whilst they fight
for and command harems, who then mate in December and
afterwards begin the moult of the old coat, and by March
disperse to new hunting grounds.
Nature in all probability will
have ensured Pietie the bull seal stays away from the
harbour for months until March, where upon in all
likelihood this seal will have changed his behaviour,
forgotten the harbour and remained a wild seal.
Seal Alert-SA believes the
authorities need to actively engaged in assisting the
previously disadvantaged community, who cannot afford
multi-million dollar tourists boats to take tourists to see
the seals. Crime is at an all time high, as is
unemployment.
It is therefore disturbing that
such a secret activity took place, if indeed it did. The
question is did it, and what is the departments position on
this, as Blitz is currently attempting to replace Pietie,
by encouraging a younger seal to take his place.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
27-21-790 8774
-----
Original Message -----
From:
Sealalert
To:
pyako@deat.gov.za ;
Monde Mayekiso ;
mwillemse@deat.gov.za
;
Theressa Akkers ;
Beryl Batties
Sent:
Wednesday,
September 19, 2007 9:22 PM
Subject:
Good
'Seal Ambassador' Taken-Out by Marine and Coastal
Management Official
Seal Alert-SA Press Release, September 19, 2007
Could Seal Supporters please write
to Director General of Department of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism Pam Yako (pyako@deat.gov.za) and politely ask her to
investigate the full circumstances for this illegal
killing of an endangered Cape fur seal, that has become
international known and famous.
Good 'Seal
Ambassador' Taken-Out by Marine and Coastal Management
Official
Hout Bay Harbour Landmark
Pietie the Cape Fur Seal Bull
Over
the years, taking tourists from Hout Bay harbour to see the
endangered Cape fur seals off Hout Bay has become one of
the top ten attractions in the western Cape. Earning for
its six big business, exclusive seal-island tour boat
operators, millions in annual ticket sales.
Over the past year, a very special
relationship developed between a previously disadvantaged
out-of-work fishermen >from the local community, who is
also alleged to be a known robber of the
visiting tourists. Blitz, as he is known had formed a
unique relationship with one very large 300kg bull seal,
whom he had befriended and nicknamed Pietie.
In official literature Marine and
Coastal Management Officials claim Cape fur seals are
extremely dangerous and aggressive.
Pietie, the endangered Cape fur
seal bull, would wait each morning for Blitz to call
him in the harbour water, where upon he would haul out
on the quay-side, and proceed to Blitz. Where for the
remainder of the morning, Pietie would allow Blitz to
handle him, pull his ears, open his mouth and feed him by
hand, to the delight of visiting children and tourists.
Pietie even allowed Blitz to sit on his back, to the
amusement of the tourists.
This bull seal was a permanent
fixture on the waterfront. With Blitz, an enterprising
local would take advantage of the crowds that gathered by
passing a hat around and asking for money "to buy some fish
for my seal". It was a unusual relationship that worked for
both man and beast.
This unique relationship was on
everybody's lips in the harbour, with even seasoned fishing
skippers having to re-think their attitude and fear of Cape
fur seals, such was the ambassadorial strength of this
partnership.
Plans were even underway with the
Community Policing Forum, where it was decided to place a
fence around the bull seal, where Blitz would be the only
one allowed into the fenced area to feed and love his new
found seal-friend. Blitz had, thanks to Pietie the seal,
been finally able to turn his life around, support his
family and earn a honest living.
Sadly, officials tasked with protecting
this endangered listed CITES seal species, protected under
the Seabirds and Seals Protection Act of 1973, stepped in,
and decided to remove this bull seal and destroy it by
lethal injection.
This official from Marine and Coastal
Management, is neither qualified as a veterinarian to
administer a lethal injection or is permitted to kill an
endangered protected seal without just cause. His actions
were therefore illegal.
Unfortunately for Pietie the Bull seal,
he was just days away from re-turning to his offshore
colony, where he would use and live-off his accumulated
excess weight, to win the right to command an offshore
harem of cows and begin his annual mating season.
Thereafter he would moult, and in all probability return to
a life on the open sea and offshore islands.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
* . * . *
