Namibia : Gone - From This To This, Within A Year - Sent March 16, 2008
Seal Alert-SA's letter to Namibian Prime Minister - Francois.
----- Original Message -----
From: Seal Alert-SA
To: nangula@opm.gov.na
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2008 10:57 AM
Subject: Namibia : Gone - From This To This, Within A Year
Dear Rt. Hon. Nahas Angula/Prime Minister of Namibia,
Namibia :
Gone - From This To This, Within A Year
Namibian Sealers
Exterminate Namibia's Largest Seal Colony,
Whilst International Tourists Are Charged To
View An Empty Beach
Firstly I trust you are well.
Namibia's largest seal breeding
colony, with 300 000 seals, remains active throughout
the year. As you know, sealers exterminated this colony in
July, 22 days into the 139 day sealing season in 2007,
trying to fill the sustainable seal pup quota awarded by
the Ministry of Fisheries.
Fisheries Ministry states the seal
cull is necessary to protect fish stocks, yet 90% of the
cull, is based on baby seals who are still suckling mothers
milk and are not fish-eaters. Killing these babies will
have no impact on fisheries. Where is the sense in this
policy?
Prime Minister, you are on record
during our meeting in July 2007, as stating I can have
three days if necessary to debate the issue. Seal Alert was
given no such opportunity in the Fisheries Ministry meeting
in August. There too, it was minuted that we would re-meet
within a few days. It has since been 7 months. The
Ministry's apparent head in the sand approach hoping Seal
Alert will tire and go away, is some what in poor
judgement. We need to resolve this.
The upcoming annual Namibian Seal
Cull in 2008. During a African television interview on
Friday night on SABC Africa, of which I was a part of, I
was quite shocked to hear Dr Moses Maurihungirire, Director
of Marine Resources at the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries
confirm that seal culling would go ahead. In addition some
participants stated they believed the seal population
should be reduced further by 50%, and thereafter a
continued program of annual seal culls.
If these are the sentiments within
the Ministry, this is of grave concern. Seal Alert is not
questioning Namibia right to utilize the seals, its
questioning Namibia right to exterminate a seal species.
The issues are not a better way to kill seals, but how many
you are killing.
With the deepest respect,
Namibia's constitution only allows the sustainable
utilization of a marine resource
consumptively or non-consumptively. To do otherwise would
be illegal. The emphasis is on the word
"sustainable". The Oxford English Dictionary defines
"sustainable" as, "involving the use of natural products in
a way that does not harm the environment and capable of
being continued with minimal long-term effect on the
environment".
Largest seal colony extermination,
is surely unacceptable. How exactly did this happen, and
who is responsible?
Namibia's pelagic fisheries have
declined from 1,5 million tons to zero, is this
'sustainable' fishing?
Namibian scientist, Dr BJ van
Zyl stated in an IWMC Symposium on Culling Seals in Namibia
: A Conservation Necessity, that and I quote, "The Marine
Mammal Section of the Directorate of Resource Management
has had the task of advising the Ministry on the management
of the seal population, and of recommending harvesting
levels for the different colonies. The ideal harvest levels
for maintaining sustainable yields, recommend that pup
harvests may be as high as 30%
of the pups born on each seal colony".
When Namibia became independent in 1990,
the pup population surveyed in 1989 was 184 537, divided
amongst 17 seal colonies. The three largest colonies, where
seal culling takes place, accounted for 122 018 pups (66%
of the population). To which a "sustainable" pup cull
quota of 25 000 was applied by the Ministry. This is below
the 30% high or maximum sustainable yield (36 000). Records
from the Ministry show, Sealers were only able to harvest,
9 790 pups.
The only explanation for this
shortfall of some 61% in filling the "sustainable" pup
quota, was that even at this low number,
sealers found insufficient numbers of pups to kill.
It further implies, that this
"maximum sustainable yield of 30% of the seal pups born",
is in fact, not sustainable, as the sealers are not even
able to harvest 39% of this.
16 years later, in 2006, when the
Namibian Ministry announced a three year annual rolling
seal cull quota (approved by Cabinet), in which it
announced a 30% hike in pup quota over the previous year
(65 000 to 85 000 pups). It stated that the Ministry relied
upon the seal pup population survey conducted in December
2005. Which found, 205 396 seal pups on 24 colonies. With
the three largest seal culling colonies accounting for 121
462 seal pups (59%). To which the Ministry applied an 85
000 pup quota, for these three colonies.
Which is 70% of the pups born, and not
the 30% recommended.
Based on Dr BJ van Zyl statement at the
Ministry, 30% (maximum sustainable yield) of 121 462 pups
would allow Namibia to issue a seal pup quota under
the constitution of Namibia, of 36 000 for 2006.
In complete disregard of the
Constitution, it awarded a pup quota, at least double the
sustainable recommended quota, when it awarded a pup quota
of 85 000, for three years, rolling annually
starting in 2006.
I trust you will see the seriousness of
these actions and their unlawfulness under the Constitution
of Namibia?
The following year, Minister Abraham
Iyambo signed a letter on the 13 November 2007, to the
Netherlands Minister Gerda Verburg, that stated and I
quote, "According to our surveys 120 000 pups (born
December 2006)".
Clearly with the seal population in
decline by a massive 44%
over the previous
year (205 396 to 120 000 pups). Under the
Constitution Namibia loses all rights to harvest or cull
seals, as the population is in severe
decline.
Instead the Ministry of Fisheries
announces only a 6% reduction in pup quota of 5000 pups,
and awards an 80 000 pup quota for 2007 (85 000 to 80 000).
Ignoring this decline (which is
unethical), but if based purely on this number, with no
comparison to population trends of past. The 30% high
sustainable pup quota, would have consisted of the
following. 120 000 pups surveyed in 2006. Of which about
60% occurs on the three sealing colonies. Which implies
that this number is, 72 000 pups. 30% of this, would have
allowed the Ministry (ignoring the decline), of a pup quota
of 21 600, for the 2007 pup sealing season.
Instead it awarded a pup quota of 80 000
pups, nearly quadruple, the sustainable yield for these
seal colonies, according to your own Ministry and
scientists.
The result, largest seal colony
exterminated.
In reality,
since Namibia's independence in 1990, although the seal
population is some 44% lower (205 396 - 120 000). Pup
quotas have risen 240% (25 000 to 85 000). On actual pups
killed, it has risen over 700%
(9 790 to 77
800).
Clearly this is in gross violation of
Namibia's own Constitution which allows only for the
sustainable utilization of a marine resource.
As Seal Alert-SA is not privy to
the resultants of the December 2007 pup count, we can only
surmise that as fisheries and fish stocks is still
depleted, that the seal population would continue with this
downward trend and reveal a pup population, even lower than
the 120 000 pups surveyed in December 2006, according to
the Ministry.
Constitutionally it is imperative that
Namibia publicly announces an end to its seal culling
policy, economically it is already directly jeopardizing
the N$ 2 million earned via the 70 000 tourists now unable
to view the seals (non-consumptively) at Namibia's once,
largest mainland seal colony - Cape Cross.
If you as the Prime Minister of Namibia,
are still in any doubt as to the seriousness or
sustainability of Namibia's seal cull policy, please
consider the following. Of the 120 000 seal pups surveyed
on all seal colonies in Namibia, born in December 2006.
Namibian Fisheries scientist, Dr Carola Kirchner, gave a
presentation where she had found the average pup natural
mortality since the 1970s (1972 - 2006), to be on average,
44%, prior to the start of sealing season (January to
July). Bearing in mind latest scientific research by
Namibian scientists conducted over the last 5 years, shows
natural pup mortality has increased to 62% over this same
period.
Subtract 44% (Dr Kirchner's average
since 1970s) natural mortality from the 120 000 pups
(latest survey). This leaves 67 200 seal pups possibly
alive, amongst all 24 seal colonies in Namibia, by start of
the annual sealing season on July 1, 2008. To which Namibia
has announced in 2006, a three year rolling quota of 85 000
pups per year. A quota, that
exceeds the number of pups alive. Bear in mind, this
illustration covers the entire Namibia seal population.
When in reality, it is far worse, as sealing only takes
place on the three largest seal colonies where 60% of the
pup production occurs.
If this reality, is taken into account,
120 000 pups (total pup population 2006 in Namibia on 24
seal colonies). Of which 60% occurs on the 3 sealing
colonies, which is 72 000 pups, born December 2006 (we have
no data for 2007). Of these, 44% will die from natural
causes, leaving at best, 40 000 pups alive by start of
sealing on July 1, 2008. To which if the Ministry awards an
85 000 pup quota (2006) or an 80 000 pup quota (2007). This
quota will not only see the complete extermination of all
seal pups from these three largest mainland seal colonies,
representing 60% of Namibia seal population, but in fact
exceed it by double.
Clearly the situation is out of control.
I would appreciate your position on this.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
27-21-790 8774
link to sealmancam
