Over 85,000 baby Cape fur seals were clubbed to death in Namibia in 2006. In 2007, the government authorized the slaughter of another 80,000 pups and 6,000 bulls. The Namibian government has yet to announce a quota for 2008 but has indicated that it will permit another slaughter.Take action today to end this annual massacre!
For 140 days, staring July 1st, the Namibian government permits the killing of about 85,000 nursing baby Cape Fur seals...on the pretext of creating employment for 120 unskilled workers living in cardboard shacks near the seal colony.
We wonder, are the leaders of Namibia unable to think of another way to provide employment for 120 people?
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The slaughter of these seal pups on the beaches of Namibia is only one part of the equation of extermination of the species. Another part is the historic removal of the seal colonies from their offshore island breeding grounds by the South African government, leaving them to breed on small rocky islands with insufficient barriers to large Cape waves and stormy seas. When the Cape fur seal pups are born, they, like harp seal pups, cannot yet swim. The storms, with their high winds and large waves, wash seal pups off these rocks and into the sea, where they drown by the tens of thousands each year. 
The South African government no longer permits sealing, but it has done nothing to restore the colonies to the islands they used to inhabit.
the only way to get the seals to return. The South African government is, at this point, cooperating with Francois and allowing him to put his plan into effect on part of the seals' historic range. Francois now seeks financial help in implementing this plan. Information for sending funds is below. Send Automated emails to the South African government! It just takes a second!
Seal Alert-SA (Francois Hugo's organization)
Postal Address. SEAL ALERT-SA, BOX 221, POSTNET, HOUT BAY, 7872, SOUTH AFRICA
HEREWITH IS FURTHER DETAILS FOR BANK TRANSFERS:
ZAR is South AfricanRand
Information on making donations:
SEAL ALERT-SA ACC : 911 2201 321
BRANCH CODE : 632 005
SWIFT CODE : ABSAZAJJ
BANK : ABSA
SA NAT.CLEARING CODE
FOR EUROPE :
IBAN : 911 2201 321
ACCOUNT : 911 2201 321
BIC : ABSAZAJJXXX
BIC: (SWIFT-CODE) ABSAZAJJ
Bank name : ABSA
Address : DELPHI ARCH OFFICE PARK, RAATS DRIVE, TABLE VIEW
City/code : TABLE VIEW, 7439
Country : South Africa
Facts on the Slaughter From Francois Hugo's Seal Alert:
Fisheries. Since independence Namibia has doubled fishery catch, landings and quotas, from 300 000 tons to 600 000 tons per annum. When it should have reduced it by 50 per cent in 1990. Bank of Namibia annual report, the fishing industry's contribution to the country's GDP was 5 per cent in 2005. Sealing accounts for 0,01 per cent of fishery exports.
Policies. 1990 South Africa stops its sealing policy on same species. Scientists state their is no biological distinction between Namibian and South African Cape fur seals - the seals are one population. Sealing Commission chaired by WWF recommends a single species management. South Africa stops, Namibia starts sealing.
Number of pups alive on July 1. Excluding a mass die-off, less than 70 000 or lower. Sealing pup quota 80 000.
Natural Pup Mortality/Environmental Cull. Double the fishery catch doubles the natural seal pup mortality. Up from 25% to now 62%. Excluding, recorded mass die-off years from starvation 1994, 2000 and 2006 (95% of pups died and half the adult seal population). Nature already kills 62% of the seal pups before sealers start their annual 139 day seal cull.
Environmental. Global warming, loss of former habitat, reduced fisheries, massive culls, all will
lead to this species extinction.
Unnatural Pup Mortality. Double the fishery capacity, doubles the entanglement, interactions, illegal shootings and drownings of foraging seals at sea. Up from 30 000 to 60 000 seal mortalities for one sector of thirteen sector Namibian fishing industry. Its trawler fleets.
Seal Quota. Decade ago (1996) Seal quota was 20 500. 2006 it was 91 000. 2007 it is 86 000. Not a single marine predator species (fish, seabirds, sharks, whales or dolphins) has increased, neither has seals. Pup Sealing quota increased 300 per cent over last decade.
Cull. Is a term scientific conservationists use to reduce a wild population of animals in an enclosed area (game park). It should have no basis for an annual commercial sealing industry. It should be breeding female based. Namibia exempts all breeding female and cow seals.
Tourism. Four of the largest international incoming tourist country's to Namibia. United States, South Africa, Germany and Netherlands have all specifically banned Cape fur seal product imports.
Largest Contributor to GDP. De Beers Diamonds (the world's largest producer of gem diamonds) has publicly voiced horror at the methods used to cull baby seals and is opposed to the cull of seals within diamond restricted area of Namibia.
"Harvest". Constitutionally it must sustain the population and not reduce it. Namibia does neither.
Seal Population. Lower in 2006 and 2007 than in 1993. Never recovered from 1994 mass die-off from starvation.
Namibian Sealing Policy. Annual. 90 per cent baby seal pup based and 3000 - 6000 bull seal genital/penis "harvest".
Percentage of Population Killed. 80% of the Seal Population for 139 days (July to November) each year.
Media Banned From Cull. Previously photo-journalists arrested. Diamond Area, restricted. Cape Cross Nature Reserve patrolled by armed-guards. Staged Media day in 2000. Mnet Television production Carte Blanche produces evidence of random clubbing of all age groups of seals, secretly filmed.
Morality Aspect. 1971 United States of America banned the killing or importing of products from nursing baby seals. European Union in 1983. World remaining sealing countries (Canada, Greenland, Russia and Norway) in 1987. Interferes in the natural behaviour and breeding cycle. Threat to the survival of the species. Considered a Crime Against Nature, even by sealers.
Protection of Fish Stocks. Latest scientific research (June 2006) reveals quantative consumption of commercial fisheries cannot be determined effectively, nor confirm whether competition exists. Up to 50 per cent of Cape fur seals diet is non-commercial fish species based. Namibia's seal cull, exempts all fish-eating seals, including breeding cows. Cull is 90 per cent based on nursing baby seals suckling mothers milk (non-fish eaters).
Sealer Clubber Qualification. None. "Sealing Industry sustain jobs for the unemployed, poor and destitute" - (quote) Namibian Permanent Secretary Mbako (July 4, 2007). Unskilled part-time employment.
Value Seal Product Exports. No figure available for recent years. 2000 a total of 41 753 killed seals (pelts, oil and meat) earned (officially) Namibian $ 600 000. N$14 or USD $2 per seal. Although Sealers claim industry earns N$5 million.
Sealing Industry. Three-man held concession. Two of which Rights to Seal end 2007. Namibian has imposed a 5-year moratorium on new fishing rights,.
Seals Killed Per Day. 600 pups are clubbed and stabbed each day, for 139 days until quota is filled or season ends. 200 bulls seals per day are shot with rifles to reach the 6000 bull seal quota.
Protection Status. Listed as an Endangered seal species in 1977 by the United Nations Convention In Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix II. Whose survival is dependent upon sound conservation measures.
Distribution. Only species of seal breeding on African Continent.
Range. South Africa, Namibia and Angola. Found nowhere else on earth.
Original Habitat. Former breeding Islands 98 per cent extinct. Less than 20 per cent of the seal population still bred in their natural original habitat - islands.
News Reports and Additional Information:
News from Francois Hugo:June 6, 2008
During and after my meeting with the Namibian Prime Minister last year, the Ministry of Fisheries was claiming the seal population had increased to its largest ever and therefore awarded their highest pup kill quota. The sealing quota has risen 700% since Namibia became independent in 1990. When I flew over the largest colony, 22 days into the 139 day sealing season (which lies along the oldest desert in the world, 1600km from my seal centre in Hout Bay), we found not a single seal or pup left alive in the seal colony, which the Ministry claimed numbered 300 000 seals before sealing started, just a few days earlier. In other words, it was completely exterminated by Namibian seal clubbers.
I have written to the Namibian Fisheries Ministry, requesting the population survey results for December 2007 and the sealing quota figures, whilst advising him that I intend to do my own aerial population survey of all the colonies, before sealing starts and during the seal clubbing. This was his reply, "Dear Hugo, Did you manage to have permission from relevant authorities to execute the survey as envisaged? Or don’t you need one? You will get the harvest levels once cleared by Advisory Council and Minister as this will fall into public information then". So, Namibia is clearly going ahead with its seal cull. Clearly this also makes them very nervous, as my evidence would show these seal colonies are declining or in a very poor state. No doubt, they will try to block my aerial survey, as it is clear that he does not want to give out the results of the population survey in December 2007, which can only mean they are very poor and the clubbing quota too high.
