Date: June 26, 2007 10:16:06 AM GMT
Press Release : Seal Alert-SA
Two of the three sealing rights end in 2007, as such Seal Alert-SA appeals to the Namibian Ministry to call an end to its seal culling policy.
Attached letter
----- Original Message -----
From: Sealalert
To: secretary@namibia.org.za
Cc: namibia@un.int ; lmupetami@mweb.com.na ; aiyambo@mfmr.gov.na ; ambanga@mfmr.gov.na
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:05 AM
Subject: Public Call For Namibia To Announce A Moratorium on Seal Culling Policy
Dear Mrs Gray or Mrs Vanhees for attention his Excellency the High Commissioner Wilbard Hellao,
Public Call For
Namibia To Announce A Moratorium on Seal Culling
Policy
I refer to the High
Commissioners correspondence dated 14 September 2006 (ref
1/3/8).
Attached is a letter
setting out clearly why Namibia should consider a moratorium on its
Seal Culling Policy. Could you please ensure that the High
Commissioner receives this letter, together with a copy being
forwarded to the Minister and Ministry of Fisheries and Marine
Resources in Namibia.
In Addition, I am faxing a
copy ofwhich.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
27-21-790 8774
Seal Alert-SA Press Release, June 26, 2007
4 Days to Go to the start of the Namibian
Baby Culling Season
Two of the Three
Sealing Concession Rights Expire - 2007,
Will Namibian
Fisheries Minister Uphold the Moratorium on New
Rights
&
Announce An End to
Namibia's Seal Culling Policy ?
Seal
cow mourns the recent loss of her clubbed baby seal
pup
On the
same species of seal, the Cape fur seals, South Africa after a
Commission on Sealing enquiry, announced a moratorium on its
commercial seal culling policy in 1990. Seventeen years later,
there has been no increase in the seal population or a need to cull
them. Two of Namibia's three sealing rights holders rights
expire in 2007, perhaps this is all that is needed for Namibia to
announce an end to its Seal Culling policy?
Namibian Fisheries Minister
Abraham Iyambo in his Annual Address to the Fishing Industry on
February 20, 2006 stated very clearly the following. 2006 should be
a year we focus on, "Restricting the level of fishing effort" and
"Continue with responsible management and conservation of our
fisheries resources".
Although stating clearly in a
letter to Seal Alert-SA that Namibia's "harvesting operations of
seals is governed by the regulations of Marine Resources Act of
2001". He then increased the sealing pup quota from 60 000 to 85
000 and then, half-way through sealing season issuing another
letter "Current seal mortalities along the Namibian Coast". Where
sealers themselves were unable to meet this quota, stopped
harvesting operations to bury dead seal corpses (half the seal
population died) and could find no more pups to kill, hardly sounds
like, "restricting fishing effort, responsible management or
conservation of this endangered fisheries resource", now does
it?
In his Annual Address, Minister
Iyambo further stated, New Fishing Rights
- "Biological data
indicate no need
for new rights"
and "There is a general need to decrease effort on
all established
commercial fisheries". Announcing, "Moratorium on new rights for at
least next 5 years". He said, "A total of 33 rights of
exploitation due expire end 2007, these rights include 2 sealing
rights".
Minister Iyambo set last year's 2006
sealing quota, at 6000 seal bulls and 85 000 seal pups, shared as
follows between three sealing rights holders. Namibian Venison
& Marine Products a quota to harvest of 38 050, Seal Products
32 950 and Cape Cross Seals 20 000.
As Cape Cross Seals is a relatively new
entrant into seal harvesting, clearly therefore the two established
sealing rights holders, Namibian Venison & Marine
Products and Seal Products, rights expire in
2007.
Holding Minister Iyambo to his National Address,
these two sealing rights holders cannot be renewed, as there is a
moratorium on new rights for at least the next 5 years.
This would effectively end Namibia's sealing
industry, and the Minister should announce an end publicly, before
the start of the 2007 baby seal culling season, which normally
starts on July 1.
The Big Question, will he?
After South Africa stopped sealing in 1990, 17
years ago, the seal population has not increased or showed any
further need for a cull, it is hoped Namibia understands
this?
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
Attached letter