This is a fairly lengthy post but it will explain why we are so concerned for the Cape Fur seals. It is a synopsis of a media presentation that was delivered by ourselves on behalf of Seal Alert SA. The question we ask is what is the Namibian Government hoping to achieve by slaughtering seals? Are they killing them to protect fish stocks as they claim? Using statistics provided by both the South African and Namibian Governments we will show that culling seals is having the exact opposite effect and that instead of reducing the population, human interference is exacerbating the situation. 

To begin, it is important to understand the nature of these animals. Their survival is dependent on rocky off-shore islands on which they prefer to breed. These islands protect the seals from mainland predators such as Jackals and Hyenas

In 1952, the government introduced a policy banning seals from islands that were larger than 2ha in size. The reason for this was the mistaken belief that seals displace seabirds. How can we say this is a mistaken belief? Aside from photographic evidence of seals living in harmony with seabirds, we can also take note of the historical records of Sir Henry Middleton, who in 1604 wrote the following: 

"Robben Island where we found such an infinite number of seals that it was admirable to behold. All the sea shore lies overspread with them, and up towards the middle of the island there be infinite number of sea birds called penguins, pelicans and cormorants"

This indeed would be true since Cape Fur seals seldom venture more than 150m from the waters edge. They prefer to remain close to the water in order to cool off rapidly when needed. They do after all have a thick fur coat in Africa's beating heat. 

If we look at the Seals and Seabirds Protection Act, it lists 43 islands off Southern Africa as protected habitat. These are the islands which are described in historical accounts as to where sealing activity took place; from the 1600's to the 1900's. Bear in mind that it was on these islands that seals have lived and bred for 5 million years. Let us take a look at each of these and, using statistics provided by both the South African and Namibian governments, we will show that that the Cape Fur Seal as a species is in serious trouble. 

We will begin with the extreme eastern range where Cape Fur seals are to be found. This is near Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Early Portuguese explorers described the bay as the "Bay of Seals" It was then named Algoa Bay and more recently Nelson Mandela Bay. There are six islands and one set of wash-rocks in this bay. These are as follows:

1) Bird Island. 19ha in size. Seals hunted to extinction and banned from the island.

2) Seal Island. (Ironically named) 3.6ha in size. Seals hunted to extinction and banned from the island.

3) Stag Island. 0.8ha in size. Seals hunted to extinction and banned from the island. 

4) St Croix Island. 12ha in size. Seals hunted to extinction and banned from the island. 

5) Brenton Island. 0.8ha in size. Seals hunted to extinction and banned from the island.

6) Jahleel Island. 1.8ha in size. Seals hunted to extinction and banned from the island. 

7) [1] Black Rocks. Seals ARE allowed here. These wash rocks are 0.3ha in size. They rise only 4m above sea level. Heavy surf during stormy conditions pounds these rocks at a height of up to 9m. It is evident no baby seal pups can survive such conditions as they will wash into the sea and drown. According to statistics provided by the South African govt. pup production from 1973 to 2004 has dropped from 1 703 to 423. This represents a 76% drop in population. No culling has taken place in modern times. This colony is headed towards extinction.

So much for the Bay of Seals. Yet our critics call us lunatics for expressing our concerns. 

9) [3] 261km's west of Seal Island is Quoin Rock. It is 0.3ha in size. Once again, there are no off shore islands between Seal Island and Quoin. Neither are there any seal colonies. This is because seals do not wish to live and breed on the mainland. They WANT to be on off-shore islands. According to stats provided by the SA government, pup production on Quoin from 1972 to 2004 has dropped from 3 746 to 1 223. This represents a 68% drop in population. No culling taking place in modern times. As with Black Rocks and Seal Island before, this colony is facing imminent extinction. 

10) Continuing in a Westerly direction, our next island is Dyer Island. It is 20ha in size. Historically this island was of major significance for the Cape Fur seals. It was the largest island in their Eastern range and was an important breeding habitat. Aside from sealing, guano collecting wiped out the nests of the penguins. The island was originally named Liha de Fera (Island of Wild Creatures) It was renamed after Samson Dyer, a commercial sealer from the 1850's. On this island, seals were hunted to extinction. The island has been walled off and seals are banned from here. 

11) [4] If one crosses Shark Alley, you get Geyser Rock. Seals have been restricted to here. It is 3.2ha in size. Geyser Rock is home to the second largest offshore colony of Cape Fur seals on earth. It stands less than 4m above sea level. When the tide comes in, this rock loses more than 50% of its surface area thus forcing the seals to swim until the low tide returns. Here is where we get our first major aberration. From prior to 1972 to 1990, seals were culled here. In that time, according to government statistics, pup production INCREASED from 2 680 to 10 749. When SA stopped culling in 1990, pup production from 1990 to 2004 went from 10 749 to 5 659, a drop of more than 52%

12) [5] 97km from Geyser Rock we find Seal Island in False Bay. This is the largest  off-shore Cape Fur seal colony on earth. It is 2ha in size. Robben Island, which was historically the largest off-shore colony is 507ha in size. 100 years ago, there were no seals on Seal Island. It was a penguin colony. Seal Island has the highest population density out of all the colonies; 1 pup and 4 adults per square meter. This is 4 times higher than anywhere else. The density is such that the acidic urine from the seals has bleached the rocks to white. Pristine conditions are 0.2 seals per square meter. More baby seal pups wash off this rock than anywhere else. In fact, statistics provided by the City of Cape Town show that in 2005, 60% of all pups born drowned within their first month...up to 500 seals per day. Over 200 Great White sharks patrol around Seal Island. They take an estimated 50 seals per day or 18 250 per year. As with Geyser Rock, seals were culled here up until 1990. Govt stats show Seal Island pup production from 1972 to 2004 has INCREASED by 26% from 14 449 to 18 339. In terms of the total Cape Fur seal population this rock is responsible for a 0.8% growth. 

Summary. Historically, 6% of the total seal population would have lived on the East Coast on 65ha of island land. This would represent 76 000 seals stretched out over 800km. Due to the SA govt banning seals from the three large islands, we now have 8% or 104 000 seals living on just 7ha. This has resulted in massive overcrowding and as many as 26 000 baby seals drowning along the East Coast each year. 

Let us take a look at the western range of the Cape Fur Seals. 

13) [6] Duiker Island is 65km from False Bay. It has not been surveyed as it is not considered to be a breeding colony. This is the colony which is the most viewed by tourists. Ticket sales for boat based viewing amount to R20 million each year. Curio sales from where the boats are launched at Hout Bay harbour contribute an extra R10 million. The most money ever generated by the Namibian seal massacre has been R4.5 million. 

"Robben Island where we found such an infinite number of seals that it was admirable to behold. All the sea shore lies overspread with them, and up towards the middle of the island there be infinite number of sea birds called penguins, pelicans and cormorants"

Sadly, the island has been devoid of seals for over 200 years. They were wiped out by the sealing industry and banned from their most important breeding ground by an act of legislation that has no merits.

17) Vondeling Island. 11ha in size. Seals hunted to extinction and banned from the island.

18) Jutten Island. 33ha in size. Seals hunted to extinction and banned from the island.

19) Malgas Island. 8.3ha in size. Seals hunted to extinction and banned from the island. Any seal found on Malgas is immediately shot. Not chased away but shot. Bang. Dead. 

20) Marcus Island. 6ha in size. Seals hunted to extinction and banned from the island.

21) Meeuwen Island. 7.2ha in size. Seals hunted to extinction and banned from the island.

22) Schaapen Island. 26ha in size. Seals hunted to extinction and banned from the island.

23) [7] Jacobs Reef is 14km from Malgas Island. It is 0.7ha in size. No culling has taken place in modern times. According to SA government statistics, pup production from 1972 to 2004 has dropped from 4 808 to 3 376. This represents a 30% drop in population. Because seals have been banned from their former habitat there is massive overcrowding taking place. The seals are prepared to tolerate this as it is preferable to being on the mainland. 5 million years of genetic evolution dictate that they should base themselves on offshore islands. Now the Government attempts to hoodwink us by claiming that mainland colonies are formed as a result of overcrowding. Using their own statistics, we have shown that the vast majority of inhabited islands are in massive decline. We have shown that seals prefer offshore islands. We have shown that these islands have been banned to seals. Are there really too many seals? Is this a natural state of affairs?

24) [8] Our next colony is at Paternoster Rocks which are 24km from Jacobs Reef. Paternoster is 1.2ha in size. No official culling has taken place here in modern times yet according to government statistics pup production has dropped by 72%. In 2007 a bunch of fishermen illegally shot hundreds of seals here. Under the Seals and Seabirds Protection Act it is illegal to shoot the threatened CITES II listed Cape Fur seals. In 35 years, not a single fisherman has been arrested or charged under this Act even though thousands of fishermen shoot thousands of seals every year. Ironically, the only person ever charged under the Act has been Francois Hugo of Seal Alert SA; not for shooting, injuring or harming the seals, but for feeding them and trying to save their lives. 

25) [9] Penguin Island, Lambert's Bay. Seals that were previously banned from here have been allowed to return. Not entirely though as the center is reserved for Cape Gannets. Any seals that enter the center of the island are immediately shot. The seals are allowed to inhabit the unsuitable extreme periphery where the heavy surf makes life virtually impossible. Government statistics show that from 1996 to 2004 pup production has increased from 352 to 592, an increase of 59%. In terms of the total population of roughly 700 000 seals, does 240 seals really make any difference? 

26) [10] Elephant Rock, at 1.5ha in size is 51km from Lambert's Bay. It is South Africa's northern most off-shore seal colony and the last off-shore island in the country. This means that out of 26 islands, only 10 are inhabited by seals. Elephant Rock, like the Robbesteen, like Geyser Rocks, like Quion Rock, like Black Rocks and all the little washrocks is pounded by massive surf which washes baby fur seal pups into the ocean where they drown. Because of persecution from the misinformed public at Paternoster and Eilands bay and to get away from man and his clubs, seals have gathered here as refugees. Pup production has increased from 2 496 in 1972 to 4 398 in 2004. This represents a 76% increase in 40 years.

Summary. If we look at the historical perspective, using pristine conditions, the 26 islands in South Africa would have produced over 700 000 pups. Today, the remaining 10 islands produce less than 5% of the total population or 36 000 seals with 16 former colonies remaining extinct. 

As you move up the coastline you do not find any of your preferred offshore islands. You keep on moving Northwards, hoping to escape human interference. You move into the diamond restricted area where human movement is strictly controlled but still, there are no off-shore islands.  You continue, searching desperately for a safe haven that has been programmed into your genetic makeup over a period of 5 million years. Alas, there simply are no offshore islands available to you. 

[11] You have now traveled 253km from Elephant Rock. Situated on a de Beers mining area, free from human interference, you decide to haul out at Kleinsee. Kleinsee is chosen because it has an established rocky "head" that juts out into the ocean, resembling an offshore island. This is South Africa's ONLY mainland colony. It is the largest Cape Fur seal colony on earth and stretches out over roughly 3km. This colony did not exist 70 years ago. The seals fled here from the offshore islands which are banned to them. Up until 1990 massive culling took place at Kleinsee. The revenue from the skins barely covered the costs of the slaughter. Pups were butchered for their fur and alpha breeding bulls were slaughtered solely so that their penises could be used to make ineffective sex potions for the Asian market. Now, using statistics provided by the South African government we can see that from 1972 to 1990 pup production at Kleinsee INCREASED from 30 450 to 78 809 despite massive culling taking place. This represents a 161% growth. From 1990 when SA stopped culling seals to 2004 the population did NOT explode as was predicted. Rather, pup production went from 78 809 in 1990 to 79 710 in 2004. This represents only a 5% increase. 

114km from Kleinsee is the Orange River. This forms the border between South Africa and Namibia. It is roughly 1500km from "The Bay of Seals" and can be considered to be the halfway mark in the seals distribution range. Although the South African government stopped commercial sealing in 1990, they had already succeeded in chasing the majority of the herd into Namibian waters. 

In 2006, Seal Alert SA requested the Cape Fur seal population statistics from the Namibian Government. The graph below is what was provided. 

Now that is all well and good, but consider the following. If you were to undertake a human population survey of the United States, would you only count California and Florida? Would you only count Texas? The reason why it is necessary to count every state is to give an accurate reflection of how population dynamics change. Did a nuke maybe take out the entire Eastern Sea Board? Did some hectic virus wipe out Michigan? Perhaps a meteorite killed everyone in Utah or a pandemic knocked out Idaho. 

Why then does the Namibian Government ignore their major islands? Where is Possession Island? They have North Reef, but not Possession. Where is Seal Island? Where is Ichaboe Island? Where is Penguin Island? What about Halifax Island? Ok, then what about Mercury Island? Flamingo Island? How about Pomona? Little Roast Beef? Plum Pudding? All these are majorly important breeding habitats but the Namibian government have chosen to ignore them. What are they trying to hide?

The graph below shows what is really going on. Take note, most of the afore mentioned islands are extinct. 

Shocked yet? Wait. You are only just getting an introduction into the world of the bizarre. 

27) If we continue on our journey up the coast from the Orange River, we travel another 138km's before we get Little Roast Beef. There are no off-shore islands in between. There are no seal colonies in between. Moral of the story? Seals WANT off-shore islands. What is happening on Little Roast Beef? It is extinct. No seals. 

[12] Just one km away from Little Roast Beef is Lions Head. It forms part of the mainland. According to the Namibian Government, pup production from 1972 has increased from 2 769 in 1972 to 5 507 in 2006. This represents a 98% increase. The Namibian government claim that in 2006, Lions Head supported a colony of 22 000 seals. (Rule of thumb colony size is 4 x more than pup production) The image below is what Seal Alert recorded in 2007. Does that look anything like 22 000 seals? Click the image to enlarge. Who bothers to verify the government statistics? And are we not entitled to question them?

28) [13] Sinclair Island at 3.2ha is but a stones throw from Lions Head. Roughly 1km away. Historical records show that over the years over 235 000 seal pups have been slaughtered here. The wall which was built around the island was used not to keep the seals away, but rather to trap them so they could not escape into the sea when being beaten to death. Culling has not taken place here in recent times. Statistics provided by the Namibian Government show that pup production from 1972 to 2006 has dropped from 15 772 to 9 072. This reflects a 43% decline. Oddly enough, just one km away on the mainland, the govt claims Lions Head has seen a 98% increase. 

29) Plum Pudding is next on our list. It is 1ha in size. Seals have been hunted to extinction and banned. 

[14] 31 km of endless desert coastline, sandy beaches and no offshore islands brings us to Van Rheenen Bay. No seal culling has taken place here. According to Namibian supplied government statistics pup production from 1972 to 2006 has dropped from 3 234 to 2 854. This represents a 12% drop in population. This colony in 2006, according to the Namibian Government, was 11 000 strong. The image below is what was captured by Seal Alert when they flew over in August of 2007. Click the image if you wish to enlarge. Should we be alarmed?

30) Pomona Island is 24km from Van Rheenen Bay. It is only 1ha in size, but makes an ideal breeding habitat for our threatened Cape Fur seals. Unfortunately seals here have been hunted to extinction and the island remains banned to them. 

31) [15] Next up, Albatross Rock. It is 2ha in size. No seal culling has taken place here in modern times. According to government supplied statistics pup production from 1972 to 2006 has dropped from 3 722 to 1 898. This represents a 50% decline. Now govt still claims that in 2006 the rock supported 7 500 seals. The image is what Seal Alert SA captured in 2007. Nothing even close to 7 500. Click to enlarge. 

32) Possession Island is the largest in Namibia's waters. Historically this was a major sealing area. So important in fact that railway lines were constructed to move the carcasses from one end of the island to another. By 1900 the seals had been hunted to extinction and today they are banned from here. Possession Island is 10km from Albatross Rock and 90ha in size. 

33) [16] Adjoining Possession Island we get North Reef. Under pristine conditions of 0.2 seals per square meter this reef can support 2 000 pups. According to government statistics there were no seals here in 1972. According to government statistics there were no seals here in 1990 either. Yet when Seal Alert asked for the population stats in 2006, the government suddenly claimed that 10 055 pups were born here. That would mean the reef supports a colony of 40 000 seals. This while a massive 90ha adjoining island has no seals. Seriously. The image (left) is what Seal Alert SA captured in August of 2007. Does that look like 40 000 seals living there? 

34) [17] So... by chasing the seals from large off-shore islands onto smaller wash-rocks and then onto even smaller wash-rocks the seals then fled to Long Island. Long Island is 2ha in size. Using statistics supplied by the Namibian Government we can see that pup production from 1972 to 2006 has gone from 12 228 to 12 702. This is a 3% increase which can be explained by seals fleeing the slaughter from our next two locations. Government claims Long Island supported a colony of 50 000 seals in 2006. The image is what Seal Alert captured in August, 3 weeks into the 2007 massacre. Can you see 50 000 seals? Click to enlarge. 

The seals have now run out of options as far as offshore islands go. They have been forced onto the mainland. This makes it easier and cheaper for the government to slaughter them. No mainland colonies existed prior to 1940. The image below is taken from a WWF report that was released in conjunction with the Namibian government. 

Ok so now we come to the seal colonies in Namibia where over 40 000 seal pups are clubbed to death. These colonies have been severely affected by SEVEN major mass die offs since 1990. Let us have a look at what is happening here.

[18] Atlas Bay is just TWO km away from Long Island. Thousands of seals are being slaughtered. Thousands have died from 7 major mass die offs that have reportedly reduced the population by up to half. Statistics kindly provided by the government of Namibia show that from 1972 to 2006 pup production at Atlas bay has INCREASED from 8 879 to 36 396. This represents a whopping 309% increase in population size DESPITE the culling and the major mass die offs. With 36 396 pups born in 2006, that would mean the colony is 145 000 strong. Seal Alert SA flew over Atlas Bay in August of 2007, three weeks into a four month slaughter. The image (right) is what was captured. Click to enlarge. Now seals don't just disappear. Their colonies are year round hives of activity. If you scroll back to Kleinsee you will see what a colony is supposed to look like, as that photo was taken the day before this one. 145 000 seals? Really? A sustainable harvest? Or a threatened species.

[19] Feeling a tad uncomfortable? Ok well then let's take a look at Wolf Bay. Now Wolf Bay is 4km from Long Island. Once again, thousands of seals are being slaughtered. Thousands have died from 7 major mass die offs that have reportedly reduced the population by up to half. Statistics kindly provided by the government of Namibia show that from 1972 to 2006 pup production at Wolf Bay has INCREASED from 7 443 to 19 993. This represents a 168% increase and reflects a colony that should stand at around 80 000 animals. In August of 2007 Seal Alert flew over Wolf Bay. 21 days into the 139 massacre. The image (left) shows not a single seal in sight. Not one. Zilch. Nothing. Zero. Nadda. Squat. Click to enlarge. Sustainable? But proponents of the massacre want to call us dedicated and concerned conservationists a bunch of crazy activists. "The seals are eating all the fish" they cry. WHAT SEALS? WHERE ARE THEY?

Summary. Without any culling, all the off shore islands are extinct or are in major decline. There is no evidence of growth where the government claims the seals are thriving. The only colonies to show a population explosion are where culling is taking place. Three weeks into the slaughter there is no evidence of these massive colonies. 

35) Halifax Island is 3ha in size and 14km from Wolf/Atlas Bay. Seals hunted to extinction and banned.

36) [20] A small wash rock lies 2km from Halifax. In 2005 there were a few seals on this wash rock. None in August of 2007. Extinct. 

We now come to Luderitz. Luderitz has the second and third largest islands off the Namibian coast. These are Seal Island and Penguin Island.

37) Seal Island (ironically so named) is 44ha in size. It is 8km from Boat Bay, Luderitz. Namibia's ENTIRE seal population, if allowed, could fit on this island. Guess what? Seals have been hunted to extinction and banned. 

38) Penguin Island. 36ha in size. Seals hunted to extinction and banned.

39) Flamingo Island. Seals hunted to extinction and banned. 

40) [21] Dumfudgeon Reef. No seal culling has taken place here in modern times. Statistics provided by the Namibian Government show pup production from 1972 to 2006 has dropped from 2 875 to 742. This represents a 75% drop in the population. This colony is facing imminent extinction. 

Summary? Halifax extinct and banned. Wash-rock extinct. Seal Island extinct and banned. Penguin Island extinct and banned. Flamingo Island extinct and banned. Dumfudgeon reef a 75% drop without any interference. "Crazy activists don't know what they are talking about. They shouldn't be worried. There are millions of seals gobbling up all the fish!" Wait! We will still get to the fish rubbish. 

[22] Boat Bay, Luderitz. Population stats provided by the Namibian government show that without any culling taking place in modern times pup production from 1972 to 2006 has dropped from 1 691 to 780. This represents a drop of 54%

[23] and [24] are Marshall and Staple. Neither colony has had any culling taking place in modern times. Pup production on Marshall has gone from 2 910 to 1 430, a drop of 51%. Staple has gone from 755 to ZERO. It has gone extinct. Goodbye. Thanks for the fish. 

41) Black Rocks (Namibia). Devoid of any seals in 2007.

42) Ichaboe Island is 28kms from Black Rocks and is 3.6ha in size. Seals hunted to extinction and banned. A 2m wall has been built around Ichaboe. This prevents the seals from coming onto the island. 

[25] In an amazing show of generosity, the Namibian government has allowed the seals to attempt to survive on Klein Ichaboe (Liitle Ichaboe) From 1989 to 2006 pup production has gone from 6 to 60. (apparently) Photographic evidence shows that this rock is pounded by big surf and is an unsuitable habitat for a threatened species. The bottom of this photo shows the 2m wall that surrounds Ichaboe, preventing the seals from returning to the island. 

43) We now come to the most Northern territory of the Cape Fur seal. This is Mercury Island. It is 63 km from Ichaboe. Anything North of Mercury island is out of the seals natural range. Seals found North of Mercury Island should be seen in the same light as a polar bear wandering around in the Sahara desert. Their occurrence Northwards of this island is completely unnatural. As their last possible natural refuge, Mercury Island is of massive importance and was originally a major breeding colony. One man, hired by the Namibian government changed all that. His sole mission was to chase seals off their island. For two years that is all he did. He constantly chased seals and their pups off their last remaining natural territory, right up to the very last seal. Banned them. Gone. Mercury Island is now an exclusive seabird colony, instead of seals living in harmony side by side with penguins and gannets as nature intended. 

[26] So... now where did the seals go? They moved south to Dolphin Head. Although Dolphin Head is part of the mainland, it still falls within the seals natural range. Dolphin Head is a rocky outcrop that juts out into the ocean. It resembles an island. Moving northwards is out of the question for the seals. Firstly it is beyond their range. Secondly there are no offshore islands and nothing but miles and miles of sandy beaches. 5 million years of genetic evolution is imprinted heavily on these animals. So what do the statistics have to say? No seal culling has taken place at Dolphin Head. From 1986 when the seals first colonised Dolphin Head to 2006 when the last population survey was undertaken, pup production decreased from 3 606 to     1 385. This represents a 62% drop in population. There should still have been 5 500 seals there though. In August of 2007 when Seal Alert flew over Dolphin Head.... nothing. Not one. Zilch. Extinct. Gone. 

Click to Enlarge. Scary huh? 

Summary. We should have 17% of the total seal population (216 000) living on 199ha of offshore islands in Namibia. Instead we have 164 000 seals restricted to just 9ha or 4% of their former habitat. Once again seals are forced onto the mainland which results in them migrating northwards to escape persecution. They are looking for safe, secure habitat. 

[27] Sylvia Hill is a newly formed colony. In 2006, government statistics show 2 723 pups were born here.

44) Unsuitable wash-rocks devoid of seals

[28] Small pockets of seals roughly 10km apart

[29] Traveling 318km north of Mercury Island, completely out of the seals natural range, we find Pelican Point. Pelican Point is a sandbank and not a true island. But Pelican Point IS off-shore. Government statistics show that this newly formed colony produced 1 682 pups in 2006. Click to enlarge. You will see seals are colonising this sand bank, particularly towards the top of the photo. 

[30] If you travel an additional 133km north of Pelican Point, you get to Cape Cross Seal Reserve. This is Namibia's largest seal colony. It is 451km beyond the seals northern most natural range of Mercury Island. Here, as with Wolf and Atlas Bay massive culling is taking place. Cape Cross has also been affected by SEVEN major mass die offs which according to government have reduced the population by between a third to half. Jackal and Hyena predation is responsible for up to 1 in 4 pups. Despite these factors, according to government statistics, pup production at Cape Cross has gone from 17 839 in 1972 to 37 394 in 2002 to 65 073 in 2006. That represents a 264% INCREASE in population. 

Now the government has confirmed that between 44% and 62% of pups do not survive their first year. Let us round that off to 50%. If 65 000 pups were born, 50% remaining would be 32 500 pups remaining. The QUOTA for baby seal pups to be slaughtered at Cape Cross is 50 000. That means 17 500 pups MORE than what there is alive! Now it is impossible to kill more than what is alive so what is happening? The Namibian government are no longer killing just pups, they are killing 2 and 3 year olds which is in violation of their legislation. 

Sealing logic states that the skull of a pup is thinner than the skull of an adult. It therefore dies with one blow to the head. How many times must you beat a 3 year old before its cranium disintegrates? From the image (left), please identify which seal is under a year and which is three years? Both of these seals were rescued and raised by Seal Alert SA. You can't? How is a sealer supposed to identify them when they are in a bunch, panicking and trying to get away from the clubs?

The image below is what Cape Cross would look like before the culling.

Click to enlarge. 

This image shows Cape Cross when Seal Alert SA flew over three weeks into the 2007 massacre. Bare in mind that is 21 days into a 139 slaughter. Click to enlarge. Sustainable?

All that remains of Namibia's second largest tourist attraction are the tyre marks from the seal clubbers. 

Summary. Kleinsee, Atlas Bay, Wolf Bay and Cape Cross are all cull sites. These are the ONLY colonies that have experienced a massive population explosion. When Kleinsee stopped culling, the population immediately stabilised. It is from these colonies where culling is taking place that we see a massive growth in population. This unnatural growth gives the false impression that the entire species is growing at a healthy 4%. Based on this misinformation, the TAC gets constantly increased. The cold reality is that the species has suffered a more than 95% loss of habitat, it has experienced seven major mass die offs in 16 years, it is close to complete collapse and is facing imminent extinction. There you have it. 

Again, we ask the following: What is the Namibian government attempting to achieve by slaughtering seals? Are they trying to reduce the population in order to protect the fish stocks? If this is the case, is culling them showing any measure of success?

OR...

Is the Namibian government trying to farm seals? If this is the case they need to separate the farmed seals from the wild herd, they need to invest in fish farms to feed the farmed animals and they need to stop bitching that the seals are responsible for depleting their fisheries resources. 

We can continue up to Cape Frio where we have more examples of gross mismanagement, but it should be pretty clear by now that something is drastically wrong. Instead we will examine the myth that the seals are responsible for a drop in fish stocks. 

The image below is of Seal Island near Luderitz in Namibia. It measures 500m by 800m or 44ha in size. You could fit Namibia's ENTIRE seal population onto this ONE island. It is the second largest island in Namibian waters. Oddly enough there are NO seals on this island.

Seal Island, Namibia. Click to enlarge.

Lets have a look at it from Google Earth. See the lower of the two islands? That is Seal Island, on which you can fit the entire Namibian seal population. 

Click to enlarge.

Now Namibia has a 200 nautical mile economic fishing zone. Agreed? So let's zoom out to half of that so we can see just 100 nautical miles. 

Can you still see Seal Island, the island on which we can fit the ENTIRE Namibian Cape Fur seal population? Good. Now let's zoom out so we can see the full 200 nautical miles. 

Seriously? Yup!