Seals Back in the Limelight

Desie Heita

28 April 2011

Windhoek — The international media has Namibia’s Cape Cross seals back on the forefront because of renewed anti-seal culling campaigns from South Africa’s Seal Alert.

While the new campaign from Seal Alert asks people to boycott all Namibian manufactured goods, the international media has its eyes on what has been termed “sustainable harvesting and ecological management” as well as the manner in which the country carries out the culling.

The annual culling in Namibia starts around May/June each year. The fur is semi-processed for exports to Asian markets, while the flesh is used for animal feed.

The fat is exported for medicinal purposes.

According to international media reports, two prominent television channels, a cable news channel and an environmental television channel, intend to swoop on Namibia during the annual culling to film a documentary on the culling methods.

Meanwhile, the court case in which seal pelt exporters of Canada took the European Union to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is ongoing.

Canadians are backing Namibia’s case where the country is the first claimant and on the basis that it carries out culling in the most humane method and that the culling is important to the management of marine resources.

The European Union closed its borders to the seal pelts nearly two years ago, even though Canada objected. Canada was later allowed to present her grievances against the EU through the World Trade Organisation (WTO) court system.

The issue currently sits before a panel of the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body.

The value of seal pelts and related products that Canada exports to the EU is not that high, but Canada insists the ban deprives indigenous people of Canada the right to earn a living, something they have done for centuries.

Europe, on other hand, says banning the imports of seal products gives respect to its international obligations and responds to the concerns by European citizens regarding seal products that come from hunts that involve shooting seals and clubbing them to death.

Meanwhile, Seal Alert South Africa’s Francois Hugo has intensified his campaign, attacking Namibia’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) for its stance on the annual seal cull.

Hugo feels the SPCA is simply not interested in supporting Seal Alert SA campaigns.

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