Press Release
Seal Alert-SA, 31 October 2006.
Baby Seals flee
Namibian Sealers to South Africa and Angola
Thousands of Namibian
nursing fleeing baby seal pups makes landfall in South
Africa - whilst he slowly starves to death alone
Like Donna Collins (reporter in Namibia) recent remarks
and enclosed pic, all the print media in Namibia have
carried similar stories, the Windhoek
Observer, The Namibian, New Era, The Economist and
the Informante. All seek answers as to why the Namibian
seals were in July considered officially healthy,
thriving and over-populated and in need of culling,
that allowed Namibia to issue the highest cull
(genocidal) quota of 85 000 nursing baby seals in
birthing breeding grounds. A practice banned throughout
the world since 1983. When just three months later,
sealers are burying 900 pups a day and pup growth
normally at 30 grams/day had been recorded in 2006, as
2 grams/day. Slowly reports started coming in of seals
stranding and dying of starvation. Soon even the
Namibian Ministry acknowledged that pups born will not
survive weaning age (October/November). Sealers
themselves admitted that sealing has ended one month
earlier, "as there are just not any more pups" to (club
and kill)
So why is Namibia
sealing?
Here is what two
reporters in Namibia are saying, Donna Collins, "The
seal cull together with the untimely mass death of
starving seals, must be ranked as one of the country's
largest wildlife tragedies. And the sight of Namibia's
Cape Fur seals starving to death each day is beyond
words. I have witnessed the despair and helplessness of
these creatures, who crawl ashore or onto rocks where
they collapse and die - too weak, too emaciated and too
ill to continue the fight for survival. Every day I go
to a place where granite boulders form a small harbour
at Swakopmund's popular Mole beach, only to see the
dead bodies from the day before. Some have fallen
between the cracks, other's are still lying on the
rocks - dead, or scattered onto the beach below. Some
are huddled together where they died in
comfort of each others bodies, but many are alone. They
are all painfully thin, desperately sick and clearly
victims of the most inhumane suffering that has been
bestowed upon them. In my opinion the Namibian
authorities, scientists and fisheries boffins have
treated the seals worse than vermin - stripped them of
their dignity and right to life. But still, the
suffering continues, and the world stands by and
watches while this marine mammal is not so slowly being
reduced to rotting corpses along our coastline".
The respected Namibian
Economist Editor's theory, http://www.economist.com.na/27%20Oct/27%20Oct.htm.
Theories of El
Nino, Seal Migration north and Over-fishing, all have
some truth, but the bottom-line, hidden in a veil of
scientific babble, is that sadistic Namibian sealers
are clubbed their way to this species extinction.
Consider the facts :
Although this mass starvation of seals is now in the
media, it is not the first such event. We know it
occurred in 1988, a big one in 1994, 1995 and 1996.
2000 was bigger, and 2001 and now again in 2006.
7-times in the last 18 years, Namibia has hidden the
reason why it allows one third to one half of its
indigenous protected seals found nowhere else on earth
to pitifully starve to death from hunger - each time,
during and after sealing season has ended.
Namibian Fisheries
Minister knew pups were growing at only 2 grams/day and
would not survive. Under the constitution sealing
should only be applied to 30% of the population, if the
claim is sustainable. Yet, these mass death's since
1988, has reduced the seal population in 2006, down to
1982 levels. Concerned that seals would once again
litter the beaches with their dead carcases, Namibia
issued a 100% genocidal cull. Its purpose to conceal
the fact that the seal population is not thriving.
Is the reason lack of fish or
are these just victims dying that have escaped the club
welding sealers?
So why are so many seals
suddenly dying now ? 75% of the Namibian seal
population occurs on two unnatural mainland seal
colonies. From July to November, everyday, for the next
150 days, groups of sealers will charge into 300 000
wild seals in their attempts to smash the heads of 600
nursing baby seals each day. The result the entire
colony of seals flee, causing widespread massive
disturbance. Nursing pups still suckling on mother's
milk and who pose no threat to fisheries, are separated
from their mothers, and flee, north and south. Within
three months the seal colonies have become completely
deserted, seals have fled this crime against nature,
this genocide.
Thousands of these pups, still
unweaned, flee and drift south. Many die at sea and
sink to the bottom. Forgotten victims. A few survivors
reach South African shores, where an even more
un-informed public, harasses and disturbs these
frightened marine creatures. Stress from these constant
disturbances and inability to properly self survive,
causes these pups to convult violently and die from
starvation. A criminal offence anywhere in the world,
but not when it comes to Cape fur seals.
Whilst the seals slowly starve to
death from separation. Scientist sickenly claim, "well
they are going to die anyway, why not club the weak to
death". If this were true - why then do sealers bury
900 pups a day and still club their quota?
Namibian sealers have turned
Namibia into an ugly blood soaked, rotten corpse of
dead and dying seals - ultimately the civilised world
will judge harshly, just like Namibians do their seals.
Sadly for the seal pups there is no
solution. Islands off South Africa are banned to them.
Existing awash rock seal colonies are overcrowded, the
result, these pups are forced to strand, be harassed,
as they slowly starve to death in their thousands on
our public beaches.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
021-790 8774
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
October 16, 2006 - Seal Alert-SA
Dear All Cape Fur Seal Supporters,
Starving male and female adult Cape fur seals dying
en-mass
Starving
dying endangered Cape fur seals need our international
help.
Please pass this email on.
See The Namibian Newspaper article, www.namibian.com.na/2006/October/national.
Founder of Seal
Alert-SA, Francois Hugo makes a desperate international
plea to help save these seals.
Supporters of the two
largest conservation organizations have received the
following, when asking for these organizations to help.
From International Fund
for Animal Welfare (IFAW-SA) Thank you for your
inquiry.
IFAW does actively oppose the Namibian Seal Cull.
See the following link for more information: www.ifaw.org .
If you have any further questions, please contact us.
Sincerely, Laurie Wilson Supporter Relations
Manager International Fund for Animal Welfare.
From WWF-SA, Thank you
for writing back and following through on your concern.
I know that similar events in Norway and Canada have
not affected fur seal populations.
So, for these 2 countries, we usually suggest the
animal cruelty organisations as they really are much
better at this type of campaigning and significantly
more focussed on these sorts of issues.
However, I don't have specific information about the
fur seals off the South African coast.
So, if you really feel that the numbers are being
affected please don't hesitate to write to our staff in
the local National offices as they will be most
informed about the reality of the situation.
It is also the national offices who monitor these types
of concerns and make priority decisions about their
areas. www.panda.org/
hern_africa/index.cfm
.I really hope that this helps but if you are unable
to make contact please write back and I will try and
help you further. Jackie Janosi
WWF International Online Team.
The Namibian Ministry has
been using its Sealing Industry to cover-up is 7th mass
die-off of its indigenous and endangered Cape fur
seals.
Since its independence in 1990, its been increasing its
seal cull quota, to hide the evidence of mass seal
starvation, in 1990, the sealing quota was 3000. In
2006, the sealing quota is 85 000 (the largest on
record).
Faced with either admitting
its seals are starving, and with it the evidence, it
prefers to adopt a policy of seal culling (clubbing
weak and dying nursing pups in birthing grounds) to
conceal instead, the dead and dying.
To which the European Union has been eager to acquire
these baby nursing pelts, since the remaining sealing
countries of Canada, Norway, Greenland and Russia
banned the practice of slaughter nursing baby seals in
1987.
The Cape fur seal population
has declined over 50% in the last decade (and still no
international alarm bells ring).
Scientists, government
officials and leading conservation organizations on
both sides of the border (South Africa and Namibia),
are attempting to downplay this 7th mass die-ff as a
species over-populated and that is correcting itself
every four years.
Seal Alert-SA believes this is
an international conservation fraud of the highest
criminality.
The current seal population is down to its 1982 levels
in 2006. Based on average pup densities on existing
colonies, the Cape fur seal population in pristine
pre-exploited periods, would have numbered in excess of
11 million seals.
The highest peak of this population of 324 000 pups or
1.3 million seals in 1993, is a far cry, from
being near over-populated.
Since this peak, the seals have endured mass die-offs
from starvation, in 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001 and now in
2006.
Where between one half and one third died in each
incident.
With over 1000 ha protected
for seals on offshore islands, extinction on 99%,
clearly points to a seal population in severe trouble.
Although listed as an
endangered Appendix II CITES species,
CITES continually allows the international trade, even
when the Namibian sealers export 117 000 skins on a 60
000 quota in 2000 (another year of mass starvation).
Either we save them, or we lose
them.
The abuse and cruelty, and inhumanness displayed by all
is a travesty.
Not even non-endangered, non-indigenous domesticated
dogs, would be allowed to starve in their hundreds
of thousands, but here in Africa - protected seals
can.
Is this what wildlife conservation
has become, fraud, cover-ups and blame the weather -
shameful.
When a species of marine mammal is dying right before
our eyes, and instead of offering to help, we further
condemn them as over-populated.
Namibia end your sealing policy,
now. You have been exposed, for the 7th time.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
27-21-790 8774
From: sasealion@wam.co.za
Subject: The "Mighty" Seal
Supporters - You are just Great !
Dear Cape fur seal supporters,
Although it appears we number only a few hundred, we
are ALL indeed the 'mighty' few. This week closed on a
high tone, and a low one, which I thought I would
share.
Mumkin centre, and four
of the 8 weanlings rescued these past two weeks.
I was
called to rescue a seal caught in a trawl net and which
had been left to starve to death in the blazing sun for
over a week and a half, by the skipper. Whilst this was
going on, a 10day into rehab weanling rescued was
dipping, and was close to death. Sadly he died.
Nikki in
Cape Town sprang into action and blasted the CEO of
this, the largest fishing company in South Africa.
Immediately there was a high-level enquiry, fleet
managers arrived and statements taken.
The end
result was this -
Just had a call from Des .... Des.... someone or the
other from Oceana to tell me what the conclusion was on
the case.
Apparently, he was given a final warning, and any
breach (in regards to the seals) will result in an
immediate termination of his contract. He must also
take action against his crew as it was determined the
crew knew about the seal.
Oceana is calling a meeting on discussing training in
dealing with seals, with the skippers and tight control
will be kept on policies and procedures.
He also mentioned that you ("Oh? Is Francois the guy
who was on 50/50? The blonde man who they call the
Sealman?") will be called should a seal need your help
and that they will make use of your services, and that
all skippers and crew must call you when they have a
problem with seals.
These companies deploy
over 65 000 trawl nets, where between 1-25 seals get
trapped and drowned annual. So this is indeed, a very
positive development. Skippers which earn over 200 000,
are now terrified, if they get caught again will lose
their jobs. Well done Nikki.
Over the past two weeks,
I have responded to a sudden flood of weanlings, like
Mumkin, bone thin coming ashore, exactly the same that
is happening in Namibia. I suspect that these a baby
seals, separated from the mothers and have fled 1000 km
to South Africa. After 10 days I lost one, after two
weeks I have saved 6 more and are doing well. Another
weanling already convulting on the beach was hurriedly
brought to me,only to die in my arms within two
minutes. Two dead, 6 alive, with one still under
intensive care abroad our Spirit of Seal Supporters pup
rescue boat.
Then a sub-adult arrived
savaged by a great white, biting his hind flippers
smashing at least four bones and his front flipper.
Shocked, weak and in great pain, he has responded well.
Shark attacked seal
Last Sunday, Paul
reported German Parliament had just banned ALL Seal
products, who will preside over the European Union in
early 2007. I needed confirmation that Cape fur seals
would be included. Immediately seal supporters swung
into action, Marcela and Elizabeth forwarded me press
releases, from these we traced that Barbel Hohn from
the German Green Party was behind the ban (how I love
our worldwide network and the internet). Nikki and
Herbert of Seashepherd then made contact direct, and
today we have confirmation Cape fur seals are included
(see attached), as well as ALL seals. With Germany to
head the EU in 2007, could we all send a thank you
to Jens Kendzia and Baerbel Hohn at the eaddress
below - I would really appreciate it (
Nikki was once again fantastic)
From: "Jens Kendzia"
baerbel.hoehn.ma02@bundestag.de
Sent: Friday, October 27, 2006 3:20 PM
Subject: German seal ban - parliamentary motion.pdf
Dear Nikki Botha,
attached to this mail you will find the motion that the
German House of Representatives ("Bundestag") adopted
on October the 19th. Under subsection "II." it says:
"The German Bundestag demands of the Federal Government
- to press for a ban of the importation of and trade
with products *of all kinds of seals *(in German "aller
Robbenarten") throughout the European Union - as long
as such a European ban is not achieved, to effectively
interdict the importation of, fabrication of and trade
with seal products in Germany."
Yours
Jens Kendzia
With support like this
from you ALL, I know we will shut down the Namibian
Seal Slaughter before it starts again in July 2007. So
dear Seal Supporters, you ALL have made me one proud to
know you, Seal-Man. Sadly when we started this year
with saving the babies, we lost 7, Mumkin being the
sole survivor. With these latest babies, although we
did not raise them from birth, we have still, saved
what we started from this years baby seals, plus
another 400 seals. For everything each one of you have
done, you have my deepest and sincerest thanks.
Donna of Namibian,
produced another fine article in Namibian newspaper, as
well as Lorna getting a great letter publishe
www.namibian.com.na/2006/October/letters/0653D9728A.html
And then
today, I opened my mail, and there was a letter from
Earle. Charles a young lad from Dubai, who sponsored
the saving of a seal on his 13th Birthday, has sent 110
Canadian dollars, with a note, "Here is 15% of my 2006
money total. I believe that one day the battle will be
won !"
Indeed Charles,
with you on the seals side, we cant lose.
Thank you all.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA