Did you know the Namibian seal hunt is responsible for the largest slaughter of wildlife on earth? It is considered to be the most brutal of ALL culls and is officially responsible for the deaths of more seals than the Canadian cull.
From the 1st of July, 80 thousand CapeFur seal pups will be savagely beaten to death for their fur pelts. Six thousand bulls will be shot so that their penises may be used to make an ineffective aphrodisiac. For the next 139 days, terrified pups will be rounded up, separated from their mothers and be violently beaten to death. The colony will be rounded up at day break. Pups, bulls and cows will be surrounded and kept away from the safety of the sea. Men with clubs move in and the seals run in fear.
To kill the animal, the men need to administer a swift blow to the head. This is supposed to cause the cranium to disintegrate. This initial strike is seldom sufficient to kill the animal and, as it tries to take evasive action, it is repeatedly beaten until it is either dead or unconscious. The sealer then stabs the little ones in the throat, sometimes while they are still alive. The baby seals are known to become so terrified that they will vomit up their mothers milk. The sand on the beach is stained pink from all the blood. Carcasses are hurled onto the backs of waiting vehicles and the bulldozers set to work cleaning up the blood before the tourists arrive to view the colony.
Each year, despite a declining population, the quota gets increased.
The Cape Fur Sealis listed on Appendix 2 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. (CITES) This means that they are not yet threatened with extinction, but their survival is dependent on conservation. They have a natural mortality rate of around 30% within the first few weeks of being born. In Canada, sealing only begins after the pup is fully weaned and is self surviving. The Cape Fur Seal however, takes much longer to wean, up to 11 months. Clubbing begins when they are seven months old. Yes, still baby babies.
The annual hunt is in violation of Namibia’s Animal Protection Act. Less than 100 people are employed in the massacre. They earn less than minimum wage and live in makeshift shacks. A report conducted by the Humane Society and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) shows that eco-tourism can generate THREE HUNDRED times more revenue.
The Seals Of Nam, a non profit organization, has the backing and support of several well known South African celebrities, including Christina Storm (James Small’s ex wife) former Miss SA 2010, and guitar legend Steve Newman. We have also partnered with The Foundation for Antarctic Research, The Jane Goodall Institute, Beauty Without Cruelty, Fur Free South Africa, Bite Back, The International Anti Fur Coalition and several other respected international scientific bodies.
Multiple appeals to the Namibian government have been ignored. The Namibian Minister of Fisheries continues to blatantly ignore his own scientists recommendations. We have gone through every available channel to end the annual hunts and are left with no alternative but to institute an international consumer boycott.
Kind regards
Pat Dickens
Campaign Manager
The Seals of Nam
Cape Town