Thursday July 2, 2009, 2:09 pm
2009 July 2
by LAAR

Seal Alert-SA, Media Release, 2 July 2009,
Breaking News

Seal Alert-SA Gives Namibian Sealing Industry 24-hours to Announce Seal Cull has been Halted,
or it will take it’s $14 million dollars being raised Internationally and offer it to Govt

It is now day 2, of the largest seal hunt in the world, whose imports are banned in US and EU. The world economic market for seal fur skins is dying.

Seal Alert-SA has accepted the 14 million US dollar offer made on the 25th June 2009, by the Namibian sealing industry to buy it out, “lock, stock and barrel”, 5 days before sealing season started, provided that not a single seal is killed and provided it can guarantee the end of seal hunting in Namibia, whilst Seal Alert-SA raises the cash internationally.

Killing a single seal during these negotiations will be a deal-breaker.

The first day of the seal culling season, which runs until 15 November started yesterday, on 1 July. This is according to the Ministry of Fisheries, yet as the sealing is done by private concession holders, it is uncertain whether the seal clubbers left the factory to kill seals.

Seal Alert-SA is therefore receiving conflicting positions. Hatem Yavuz the fur buyer of the industry, appointed by the Namibian sealers to head the deal, called Francois Hugo of Seal Alert-SA on the night of the 31st June 2009, the day before the sealing season opened, and confirmed as per our agreement, that he had “ordered the sealers to halt all seal killing for 7 days”. Seal Alert-SA has requested this in writing, and to date no confirmation in writing has been received, nor has our public offer to pay the Namibian sealing industry 15 000 US dollars a day, to compensate the industry for not killing seals, until we raise the full purchase offer of 14 million US dollars.

Attempts by the Namibian newspaper to contact the sealers, was reported as follows, “Attempts to obtain comment from a seal-harvesting company at Henties Bay, Sea Lion Products, proved futile. Only an answering machine responded.” In their article “International bid to halt seal culls gain momentum” http://www.namibian.com.na/news-articles/national/full-story/archive/2009/july/article/international-bid-to-halt-seal-cull-gains-momentum

As such, Seal Alert-SA gives the Namibian sealing industry and Hatem Yavuz 24-hours to respond in writing. Should it not respond, we will take the 14 million US dollars, and offer it to the government subject to certain conditions.

The facts of the Namibian sealing industry are as follows. Govt has granted two concession holders, who employ 97 workers in the sealing industry, long term rights to kill just under a million endangered seal pups until 2019. The sealing industry sales is 625 000 US dollars per annum. Govt revenue from this industry is 25 000 US dollars per year. 90 percent of the quota is seal pup based, for its skin. Namibian sealing industry gets $7 US dollars for each seal pup skin sold. Nett Profit for the Namibian sealing industry for the Namibian economy after 10 years is estimated at 7 million US dollars

United States banned import of these skins in 1972, as did the Netherlands and Germany in 2008, and the 27-countries of the EU, in May 2009, citing the cruelty of the hunt. On an 85 000 seal pup quota, sealers were only able to harvest 23 000 seals or fill just 27 percent of the quota in 2008. Only one fur buyer offered to purchase the seal skins. This fur buyer, based in Australia, with his fur production factory in Turkey, has placed no further orders for the 2009 sealing season, as he still has 20 000 seal skins in stock. Due to the international campaign launched by Seal Alert-SA against his fur company two weeks ago, Hatem Yavuz, who claims the Namibian sealing industry is in partnership with him, has appointed him to offer Seal Alert-SA an exclusive 14 million dollar buy-out to stop the harvest and shut down Namibia’s sealing industry.

Seal Alert-SA will make this signed ‘buy-out’ letter public should it not hear from them today.

Seal Alert-SA offer to the Namibia govt is simple. The Namibian sealing industry, was granted govt sealing rights until 2019 to kill a million seal pups. This effectively translates into $7 US dollars per seal skin. The purposes of this harvest it is claimed by govt is to create jobs for 97 unemployed Namibian workers. Seal Alert-SA will offer the Namibian government $15 US dollars for each of the one million seals not killed between now and 2019. This amounts to 14 million US dollars, the sealing industry offered Seal Alert-SA to buy it out and stop the harvest.

On condition, Namibian govt cancels those sealing rights to the industry, and publicly announces an end to the Seal Cull as a policy, and undertakes to protect the species. The Namibian government can then use the cash as they see fit, or to retrain and re-employ the sealing industry workers in other industries. Seal Alert-SA requests that a contract be drawn up with government, subject to certain legally binding conditions and terms.

Seal Alert-SA will raise the 14 million dollars through the millions of supporters in the international anti-seal hunt movement, where it will ask each supporter to donate $15 in a once-off payment to protect the Cape fur seals of Namibia permanently. This campaign, already underway has seen single individuals like Supreme Master Ching Hai, who is a world-renowned humanitarian, spiritual teacher, and artist donate 100 000 US dollars ( http://suprememastertv.com ) a global TV station for more details, and Australian Man of the Year, Phil Wollen a former merchant banker, who now heads the Winsome Constance Kindness (http://www.kindnesstrust.com ), pledge 150 000 US dollars. Most surprising is the sudden support flooding in of pledges from Namibia’s citizens and companies pledging thousands of Namibian dollars.

The approval of this offer by Namibian’s for Namibia to end its Seal Cull, is certainly clear from the pledges and comments and support received.

South Africa which has the same species of seal, stopped its seal hunt in 1990, due to public pressure and has experienced no further need to manage the seal population through culls or seen any increase in the seal population, after 19 years.

Many large international anti-seal hunt organizations with millions of supporters have indicated they will come on-board, if the offer is accepted by government, and a contract is drawn up with government which undertakes to end the seal cull, as many supporters have expressed concern that the sealing industry’s offer is extortion, and question whether the industry can deliver on its offer to shut-down the seal hunt forever, without the support of government.

Seal Alert-SA will be sending its offer to the Prime Minister of Namibia, Nahas Angula, should the 24 hour deadline pass. In it, Seal Alert-SA will point out to the Namibian government that it already charges tourists $11 US dollars each, to visit seal colonies in Namibia, our offer to pay the government to protect the Cape fur seal as a species, instead of culling it, is $15 US dollars a seal, twice the value of the sealing industry.

Seal Alert-SA draws a word of caution to the sealing industry. When discussions with the Namibian government collapsed in 2007 to end sealing, Seal Alert-SA then went on to have Netherlands, Germany and the 27-countries of the EU, ban all seal product imports less than two years later.

Seal Alert-SA’s position on this is clear, the Namibian Seal Hunt must end. Seal Alert would prefer to deal with the Namibian government, but as they have broken off all communications with Seal Alert since 2007, I am left with no option but to seek alternative private solutions, after the Namibian government even ignored the US and EU ban, citing as their reason, sealing creates jobs.

Well the fact now is, Seal Alert-SA offer of 14 million US dollars will create more jobs than the 7 million dollars the sealing industry will deliver in the next 10 years.

Seal Alert-SA awaits developments in this regard.

For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
27-21-790 8774

Thursday July 2, 2009, 2:12 pm
PLEASE SIGN THE NEW PETITION - CLICK THE NEWS' TITLE!!

Francois needs now your pledges please don't send money until you get message from him

There is a reply from Francois to all who pledged:
Dear All,

My apology for being unable due to time constraints to reply to each email individually, this is due to the hecticness of campaign to end sealing and the care of 40 baby seals at my private facilities - Please therefore understand. Your support and pledges are deeply appreciated on behalf of the seals in Namibia. They are so proud of what you are doing for them in their hour of need. Below in the update many of your questions should be answered. Please do not send or make any donations, this is just a call for pledges. If you have already sent a donation, I will hold it until matter resolved. Once we have contracts and legal agreements the Namibian seal cull will end to our satisfaction, then and only then, will I contact you each and ask for your pledges, if you still so choose.

Please keep checking my blog, details at the bottom of this update, and for past activities and pics. Equally I will keep you updated. Please try to get as many supporters as possible to pledge. I ask you to trust my expertise in this matter and to stay with it until this cruel seal cull is ended. For the Seals, Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
27-21-790 8774
http://sealalertsa.wordpress.com/

Thursday July 2, 2009, 2:19 pm
For all who don't know yet:
Namibian seal slaughter is the most cruel slaughter of these beautiful animals -
In Namibia baby seals, still suckling mother's milk are clubbing every year.
Info about seal slaughter in Namibia: http://sealalertsa.wordpress.com
"Although terrestrial wildlife have over 100 million ha of land protected for them in southern Africa, Namibia’s seal population as a species, has effectively been reduced to just 500 m by 800m.
Ignoring the United States import ban on Cape fur seals in 1972, due to the cruelty involved in Namibia’s current sealing methods or that the world’s remaining sealing countries of Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia banned the practice in their own sealing regulations in 1987, citing clubbing a nursing seal pup in a breeding colony to be cruel. Namibia prides itself that 90% of its sealing quota is nursing seal pup based, with regulations requiring sealers to beat less than one year old seal pups to death, as the only sealing method, and may not shoot them.
With the Fisheries Minister Abraham Iyambo ignoring his own constitution which prevents a cull of its wildlife, as reducing a wild seal population is unconstitutional and who ignores his country’s own Animal Protection Act, which states beating an animal to death is a criminal offence. Equally disregarding that he has increased the seal cull quota, of over 800% from 9000 in 1990, to 85 000 seal pups. When in fact between 1994-2006, overfishing by the same Minister, saw the largest seal die-off from starvation ever recorded over several breeding seasons, effectively reducing Namibia’s seal population by half."
"As Cape fur seals, are listed as an Appendix II endangered species in 1977, by the United Nations – Convention In Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), all exports/imports by the 173 countries, which includes Namibia, which are signatory to the CITES convention, are required to submits permits. These permits of exports/imports can be tracked on CITES database.

In 2000, Namibia doubled its seal pup quota from 30 000 to 60 000, and yet sealers could harvest only 35 000. In 2006, the Minister increased the seal pup quota further by 30%, to 85 000 seal pups, and then acknowledging the seals were suffering the largest mass die-off from starvation every recorded in the world for any marine species, effectively reducing the seal population by half. Namibian sealers found only three buyers, and exported 13 550 skins to Greece, 15 177 to Norway and 17 813 Turkey. In 2007, Namibian sealers could only find buyers in just two countries, Greece 10 056 and Turkey 15 028. Between 2006 and 2007, Namibian seal skin exports declined from 46 540 to 25 084. In 2008, Namibian sealers could only find one buyer in one country, and exported 23 000 seal skins to Hatem Yavuz in Turkey. "

Watch the video to see the Namibian seal slaughter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzPcAvEARwIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzPcAvEARwI

Thursday July 2, 2009, 3:08 pm
Thanks Joanna for your message !

(Thank you! You signed at 10:55 AM PDT, Jul 1, 2009)

Thursday July 2, 2009, 3:11 pm



# 85: 3:10 pm PDT, Jul 2, Cher Clarke, Canada


Thnx Joanna!!!

Thursday July 2, 2009, 4:19 pm
Noted and signed.

Thursday July 2, 2009, 4:24 pm
Gladly signed. Thanks Joanna.

#92: 4:21 pm PDT, Jul 2, Joycey Berry, North Carolina

Thursday July 2, 2009, 4:32 pm
Claudia, thank you for signing "Namibian Seals still in Danger."
Forwarded
Thanks Joanna

Thursday July 2, 2009, 4:53 pm
Will post this far and wide. Francois Hugo of Seal Alert-SA lives just a few kilometers away from me. I am very proud that a South African is spear heading this protest and negotiations.
Thank you so much for this news update Joanna!

Thursday July 2, 2009, 5:02 pm
Eureka, thank you for signing "Namibian Seals still in Danger."

About a week ago I applied for a position at the Dyer Island Conservation Trust - Marine Conservation in Gansbaai, Western Cape, South Africa. I have no experience in Marine Conservation apart from working with SANCOB - oiled penquin rescue, but I offered my IT and accounting skills and absolute passion for all living creatures. I have just emailed them this Care2 link.

My prayers are with these seals.

Thursday July 2, 2009, 5:04 pm
If you haven't seen my previous news please have a look at all info and lots of posts with support from Care2 members
http://www.care2.com/news/member/457397809/1179915

look at the reply I got from IFAW:
"Ending Namibia's commercial seal hunt is an important step toward achieving IFAW's goal of ending commercial sealing globally.

The idea of a buy-out is appealing because they benefit seals and, ideally, fairly compensate individual sealers and sealing companies for moving on to other economic opportunities (see, for example, a recent economic study of Canada's commercial seal hunt that investigates economic mechanisms for ending it).

In order for a buy out to be successful, it is necessary to have a reasonable valuation of the industry, and the co-operation not only of the sealers and the sealing industry, but of the responsible government as well.

IFAW is currently monitoring the on-going discussions in Namibia and conducting its own evaluation of the proposed buy out.

At the present time we haven't yet secured adequate information to draw any definitive conclusions.

We are concerned, however, that there seems to be an unreasonable deadline associated with the current proposal. These sorts of proposals are complicated and require adequate time to work out the details.

Once we learn more, we will be in a better position to evaluate IFAW's involvement (if any) in the proposed buy out.

Thank you for writing,

IFAW Supporter Relations


No other orgs I wrote to haven't respond yet

Thursday July 2, 2009, 5:36 pm
Signed and forwarded Thanks Joanna

Thursday July 2, 2009, 5:45 pm
Signed ! Thanks Joanna for posting, and Eureka for the forward.

Thursday July 2, 2009, 6:22 pm
Noted and signed, Thanks Joanna for bring this to our attention.

Thursday July 2, 2009, 6:38 pm
I've just listened to Francois' radio broadcast at WFL Endangered stream. The proposal to buy the sealers out and shut them down is so absolutely logical. And I've also learnt a hell of a lot about seals.

Joanna, once again thank you.

Thursday July 2, 2009, 6:38 pm
Noted and # 101. Thank you Joanna.

Thursday July 2, 2009, 6:43 pm
Gail, thank you for signing "Namibian Seals still in Danger."

Noted with thanks, Joanna and signed for these sweet innocent seals.

Thursday July 2, 2009, 6:46 pm
Noted and signed. Thank you Joanna.

Thursday July 2, 2009, 6:48 pm
Name Comments
3457. MANDI PLEASE SAVE THESE SEALS!!!
MANDI, thank you for signing "Namibian Seals still in Danger."
TKS JOANNA

Thursday July 2, 2009, 6:58 pm
TY, Joanna! You do all you can and MORE!
Big hugs!!!

Thursday July 2, 2009, 7:18 pm
Signed,noted,promised etc Thanks Joanna

Thursday July 2, 2009, 8:00 pm
Thank you, signed # 108

Thursday July 2, 2009, 8:05 pm
Done.

Thursday July 2, 2009, 8:15 pm
Noted & singed, thanks Joanna

Thursday July 2, 2009, 8:20 pm
Thanks, Joanna! Signed and crossposted!

Thursday July 2, 2009, 9:17 pm
I signed but I CALL IT EXTORTION BY THE GOVERNMENT - pay us 14 million dollars and we will forget about culling the seals - that's what it is EXTORTION!!!!!!!

Friday July 3, 2009, 12:03 am
All actions taken...Thanks Joanna... I hope sooo desperately that this works....

Friday July 3, 2009, 12:03 am
Done thanks Joanna.

Friday July 3, 2009, 12:08 am
DONE & THANKS JOANNA...

Friday July 3, 2009, 12:39 am
Phrend you're right - it is blackmial and extortion:
Seal Alert_SA:
"On 26th June 2009, Francois Hugo of Seal Alert-SA, a one-man seal rescue organization and leading campaigner to end the Namibian seal cull receives a written offer to buy-out the Namibian Sealing Industry for 14 million US dollars. The offer made by Hatem Yavuz, the Australian based fur buyer, selected to head and lead the contract gives Seal Alert-SA, 5 days to come up with the cash. (...)
The First and final sentence in the written offer states, “The positive alternative to stop the harvest is to buy all us out …… the harvest starts next week, and we will not waste our precious time if we feel and see that we are being played with”. (...)
In the business of seal killing, the Namibian sealers receive $7 a skin, and the business of ending it, requires $15 a seal earmarked for culling until 2019.

Pledges have started pouring in from around the world, and it is clear seal supporters accept that whether they donate funds to an anti-seal hunt campaign, or pay to view seals in the wild, or donate funds to rescue seals, at a time like this, accepts the $15 is a small price to give these seals a life-time and be the first to stop a government seal hunt privately.
(...)
The success or failure of this buy-out to end the seal cull, depends larger upon whether the ‘New Animal Mafia’ will allow the truly concerned little guy to succeed, as stated by Hatem Yavuz in an email to a supporter, “about the sell out? Only François Hugo, of whom I get along very well is the only legitimate activist I have known, as other major activists are using and basically supporting the harvest or cull for generating donations……using the hype for their own income. Now how ethical is this. This is why I personally don’t believe the buy out will take place, the other activists will dilute this situation”.

Friday July 3, 2009, 1:09 am
Hallo,

I have updated my site http://sealalertsa.wordpress.com/ and the group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=112496080882 with news

Paola

Friday July 3, 2009, 1:10 am
sadly Noted & signed. Thanks

Friday July 3, 2009, 1:23 am
Plkease join Paola's group on Facebook:
"The group I started for the cape fur seals
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=112496080882
has got more than 1000 members in 2 weeks ! THANK YOU !!"

and see below updates:
Although the Ministry of Fisheries has stated that the seal culling season of 91 000 seals has opened on 1 July, and that the cull will ago ahead, making this the largest seal cull in the world. On day 2, the private Namibian sealing concession holders had not sent out its part-time workers/seal clubbers yet.

The ‘deal-breaker’ to Seal Alert-SA acceptance of the Namibian Sealing industries offer to buy them out at 14 million US dollars, hinges on one thing, “not a single seal can be killed” whilst we are negotiating and raising internationally the cash.

Cash that would flood in if the govt supported it, concluding the buy-out within days. Saving thousands of seal pups from an unnecessary cruel death with no market for their skin.

Its not too late, for Namibia to reconsider its Seal Culling policy, urges Seal Alert.

Seal Alert-SA has not received any official comment from the Namibian government, regarding its position or support of the buy-out. Does the govt support it or not ? More importantly, what do the Namibian people want ?

Seal Alert has seen financial pledges offering thousands of Namibian dollars pouring in from Namibian citizens in support of the buy-out of the sealing industry. Namibian’s themselves are paying the sealing industry to sell-out and stop killing seal pups to protect the species. Seal Alert-SA requests all Namibian newspapers to offer their readers an on-line poll.

The Namibian sealing industry offer to Seal Alert-SA to buy them out 14 million US dollars is real (to be publicly released on 7 July 2009). Its first sentence reads, “The positive alternative to stop the harvest is to buy all us out. Buying us out will mean you buy the whole lot, “lock, stock and barrel” “.

The continuance of Namibia’s sealing industry makes no sense. The Namibian sealing industry want out, they approached Seal Alert with the offer. With US and EU seal product import bans the world market for seal pup skins is dead. Buyers for Namibian seal skins is down to the last buyer. Sealing rights to kill a million seal pups until 2019 will generate $7 a seal skin or 7 million US dollars in revenue after 10 years. Seal Alert-SA buy-out offer is double this.

14 million US dollars will now flow into Namibia as new investment and the sealing industry workers will be re-trained and re-employed in better paying jobs.

Govt should not ignore the $112 million Namibian dollar offer, its a lot of money for a poor desert country. Let the seal-clubbers decide.

All Namibian govt needs to do is officially support it. Seal Alert is well on its way to raising the cash, and has seen an overwhelming response of support with financial pledges pouring in from across the globe. Whose support would flood in further if govt supported it officially.

Some sources within the Namibian Ministry claims this is a funding drive to fleece the public. Its not, no donations have been asked, only pledges to support the buy-out if government will support it and make it official.

According to reports in the media, the Ministry of Fisheries wants the seal cull to go ahead because, “The Ministry of Fisheries put out a quota of 86,000 seal pups and 6,000 bulls per year for three years in 2007 to contain the population of an estimated 650,000 seals” http://www.citizen.co.za/index/article.aspx?pDesc=99307,1,22

In 2007, according to the Ministry of Fisheries ‘Seals Press Release’ it said the same thing, only then it claimed the seal population was 885, 000 seals. How much further does Fisheries want to ‘contain’ the population ? Is a 27 percent decline in the seal population, not enough?

Is Namibians aware that the seal population would all fit within an area of 500 metres by 800 metres, and I can prove it scientifically.

Namibia and South Africa’s own scientist’s confirm the seal population controls itself through natural culls. Mass die-off from starvation (see article) http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=92371081056 , jackal predation on the mainlands accounts for 25 percent, shark predation at sea and around the islands, and mass washing off of pups from islands during rough seas, which sees 60 percent drowning of pups the annual norm (see attached article). In fact Namibian government scientists have said the average natural mortality of pups since the 1970s has been 44 percent.
South Africa stopped its cull on the same seal species in 1990, which no further increase in the seal population after 19 years, conclusively establishing that there is no need for human intervention in seal management. Govt own sign-board at the largest seal colony in Namibia, contradicts itself, where it asks people to “Help us to protect this unique seal colony”. Oceana fishing, one of South Africa’s largest fishing companies has donated the premises Seal Alert-SA uses for its seal rescue and rehabilitation work.

The Minister of Fisheries recent protection of the 11 former seal islands off the Namibia coast, all now extinct to the seal population due to sealing, if un-banned, could see new investment in the form of the shark cage diving industry, worth 200 million dollars, around these islands, which currently are now just barren offshore rocks.

Seal Alert-SA requests govt to consider the buy-out seriously, and to open discussions with it, in this regard. Ask the people of Namibia what they want, ask the seal-clubbers too.

http://sealalertsa.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/namibia-re-think-seal-pup-culling-policy-before-buy-out-withdrawn/

Friday July 3, 2009, 1:46 am
Gladly signed.

Friday July 3, 2009, 2:46 am
noted

Friday July 3, 2009, 4:34 am
signed will forward thanks

Friday July 3, 2009, 7:45 am
Noted and signed!!!!!!!!!! Extortionists!!!!!!!

Friday July 3, 2009, 8:24 am
Have just read an article in the 'Argus', a Western Cape, South African newspaper. It claims that the sealers have no intent of negotiating, and that the 'culling' will start any day soon.

Friday July 3, 2009, 10:22 am
TY Eureka for any news from Africa - you're much closer Namibia than we are :))

the news from Namibian gov:
http://www.citizen.co.za/index/article.aspx?pDesc=99307,1,22
Published: 02/07/2009 14:06:26

Namibia seal industry sources: “the cull will go ahead”

WINDHOEK - Namibia’s seal-hunting season opened on Wednesday despite efforts by South African animal rights activists to stop the annual cull of the Cape Fur seals along the south-west African country’s coast, industry insiders said Thursday.

While there has so far been no culling activity, industry sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the German Press Agency dpa “the cull will go ahead”.

The Ministry of Fisheries put out a quota of 86,000 seal pups and 6,000 bulls per year for three years in 2007 to contain the population of an estimated 650,000 seals inhabiting Namibia’s coastal waters for the current season.

The furs of the seal pups are sold to an Australian buyer, while the hide of the bulls is used to make leather shoes, among other things.

South Africa-based animal rights lobby group Seal Alert said it would attempt to buy up the complete seal industry in the country from locally-based seal fur buyer Hatem Yavuz.

The purchase was an attempt to banish culling in Namibia.

- Sapa-dpa

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Friday July 3, 2009, 11:55 am
#190

Friday July 3, 2009, 1:05 pm
Joanna, here is the full text of the South African Newspaper Article - dated today
=================================================================
The world's biggest buyer of seal skins, Turkish-born Australian Hatem Yavuz, denied being in talks with animal rights activists to buy out his Namibia operation and end seal culling

"There are no negotiations with Francois Hugo (of Cape Town-based Seal Alert-SA). That's all of it." Yavuz said. "We have 139 days to harvest the quota we received from the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries. We start whenever we feel ready." - Sapa-dpa

Friday July 3, 2009, 1:22 pm
Gladly signed, thanks Joanna & Eureka.

# 197: 1:18 pm PDT, Jul 3, Katrin Finsterbusch

Friday July 3, 2009, 1:55 pm
Noted and petition signed, thank you

Friday July 3, 2009, 8:09 pm
Noted and forwarded....and signed.

Saturday July 4, 2009, 12:39 am
The Namibian seals must survive.

Saturday July 4, 2009, 6:11 am
228 signatures so far
TY

Sunday July 5, 2009, 11:05 am
# 255: Noted, will cross post as wide as possible and thanks Joanna

Monday July 6, 2009, 9:20 am
Thank you! You signed at 9:17 AM PDT, Jul 6, 2009

Wednesday July 8, 2009, 1:14 am
I've been worried that I haven't heard from Mr. Hugo in quite some time, apart from an email about an upcoming DVD....thank you, Joanna, for posting this...will do what I can to help!

Thursday July 9, 2009, 6:43 am
Seal Alert-SA, Media Release, 7th July 2009
22-minutes ago, News24 reports amongst 70 other media publications, that the, "Namibian seal hunt will go on", http://www.news24.com/Content/Africa/News/965/0796891ee22e4410b21f0d584a4b7e80/06-07-2009%2009-07/Namibian_seal_hunt_will_go_on.

The National newspaper reported more in depth, "$14 million deal to end seal cull", http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090707/FOREIGN/707069864/1017/NEWS .

It is the end of 6th Day in Africa, and still the seal cull has not started. No seal pups have been killed.

Namibian govt officials can tell the media what they like, but govt does not do the baby seal pup clubbing, business does, and the business of ending the seal cull, has not been concluded yet. Business will decide whether the seal cull starts or ends, not govt fisheries officials.

The Seal 'business' in Namibia is dead. World economic slump, bans in the US and EU, poor demand for luxury fur fashion goods, no fur buyers, surplus of unsold seal skins, a declining seal population - and a sealing industry that wants to sell-out for $14 million. Something the Namibian govt must now come to terms with, and now look at alternative economic solutions.

Clubbing cruelly these seal pups is senseless and idiotic, as Namibia's last fur buyer, still has 20 000 skins from the 23 000 he bought in 2008, and cannot even sell these, and has placed no orders for 2009.

Whilst Seal Alert-SA bangs on the back-door to end the cull and continues its efforts to publicly raise $14 million US dollars to buyout the industry, it has now asked the World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA) and the Humane Society International (HSI) to politely knock on the front-door of the Namibian Govt, and make it an offer nobody can refuse.

Since Namibia became independent in 1990, and revived the seal culling industry, issuing the rights and quotas to two sealing concession holders to club 930 000 seal pups cruelly to death. The sealing industry has cost govt lost revenue. Killing only 610 000 seal pups of their quota. Seal harvesting have only managed to fill 60 percent of their annual quota since 1990, causing govt to loose the 40 percent revenue it gets from each pup killed.

In 2008, govt lost even more, with seal harvesting yielding only 23 000 pups on an 85 000 pup quota.

Seal Alert-SA asks WSPA and HSI whom was at my meeting with the Prime Minister and Ministry of Fisheries in 2007, to come forward and immediately offer the Namibian government a deal, that it cannot legally refuse.

The front-door deal is. Offer to take over the sealing rights and annual quotas for this seal resource until rights end in 2019. Paying govt upfront for the full levies on each seal in the quota that govt derives its revenue from. Legislated at N$2 Namibian dollars (.25 US cents) a seal pup and N$6 Namibian dollars (.75 US cents) per bull for the full quota.

This would amount to N$170 000 Namibian dollars for the 85 000 pups and N$36 000 Namibian dollars for the 6000 bulls each season. These annual quota levies which amounts to $25 000 USD dollars per year, to be guaranteed until Sealing Rights end in 2019. In addition, as govt has repeatedly stated, that the cull is a necessity under the constitution as it creates jobs for the unskilled and unemployed 97 workers in the industry. To offer to re-train, re-skill and offer these seal-clubbers full time employment in their new position, year round as "Seal Protectors and Seal Colony Monitors", whose jobs would be to protect the seal colonies from disturbance from the sealing industry and increasing tourism. Whose jobs costing N$ 2 million Namibian dollars ($230 000 US dollars) a year, to be equally guarantied for ten years, until 2019.

Seal Alert-SA suggests WSPA offers the govt to put $2 million US dollars in a trust to guarantee govt levies on quota and the cover workers salaries for 10 years, until 2019, and match any and all benefits that the sealing industry offers its workers, if any. Seal Alert then through its supporters will assist WSPA and HSI to fund the annual levies and 'seal protectors' salaries, totaling $230 000 US dollars through online pledges and donations.

Its a $260 000 US dollars a year deal until 2019, which a surety of $2 million dollars sitting in a Namibian npo trust.

Namibian Prime Minister Nahas Angula shoved the Namibian Constitution Booklet repeatedly in my face, which he co-wrote, stating I must find a solution within the constitution. Well, PM this is it, "the constitution of Namibia allows for the sustainable utilization of the living natural resources (seals), slide 2, confirms your policy of either consumptive (culling) or non-consumptive". The offer from either the back-door or front-door is in line with the constitution's non-consumptive approach to seals. Nowhere does the constitution state govt must harvest or kill seals.
Can govt legally accept the 'front-door' offer ? Marine Resource Act of 2000, states, "The Minister whenever he is of the opinion that it is in the interest of the promotion, protection or utilization on a sustainable basis of a particular resource, at any time, suspend, cancel or ..... of such rights, quota or license".

Can Seal Alert-SA succeeded with the 'back-door' offer ? Marine Resources Act of 2000, states, "No right may be transferred to another person except with the approval of the Minister, but such approval may only be granted if the quota connected with the right is also transferred to the same person".

If the Namibian Sealing Industry cannot deliver on their offer of $14 million buyout to end sealing with the Minister's consent, I will have to look at extortion and attempted fraud charges.

Namibian sealing industry has sealing rights until 2019 to kill a million seal pups, their offer to Seal Alert is 14 Million US dollars in a buyout..

This would be in line with the policy of the department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism sign-board at the entrance to the Cape Cross Sealing colony, where it urges, "people to help protect the seal colony".

Fisheries officials comments that clubbing nursing seal pups is a necessity to manage the seal population to protect fisheries is non-nonsensical and once again idiotic. As the cull exempts breeding cows and all ages of fish eating seals, as no market exists for its skins or products. Equally, South Africa has proven nature more than effectively manages the seal population, which has seen no increase in its seal population after stopping its commercial cull in 1990.

Pups washing off rocks and drowning, jackals predation on mainland colonies, and shark predation at sea and around island seal colonies, together with several mass die-off incidents since 1994, is all nature's way of controlling the population without the need for human intervention.

As an already UN listed endangered species since 1977, with 23 former island colonies extinct. Govt should take the offer to protect and not club.

The non-consumptive solution.

Seal Alert urges all supporters to keep sending in pledges, and no donations please, this fight is a long way from being over.

For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
27-21-790 8774
http://sealalertsa.wordpress.com/

Monday July 13, 2009, 10:47 am
Sealers Wait for the Media Attention to Wane, So They Can Begin the Slaughter of the Cape Seal
Please friends note Maria's story and leave a comment on examiner site - as the author writes media attention will buy Francois HUgo additional time to raise sufficient pledges and stop the killers "The sealers are expected to move their operations southward to the denser populations of seals once the media attention wanes. Then the mass killing begins."
Please forward!

Monday August 3, 2009, 12:44 pm
signed petition..

when is the fashion industry going to be imaginative and creative...we are not cave people requiring animals to clothe ourselves anymore. its not just ending the killers of seals, its the buyers that have to stop too...!