Namibia: Police Thwart Anti

John Ekongo

18 July 2011

Walvis Bay — Police in the Erongo Region have foiled a suspected anti-seal lobby group’s plot to film the seal culling exercise currently underway at the Cape Cross.

Nearly 85000 seal pups and 6000 bulls are set to be put to death during the exercise.

Police officers last Thursday morning came across four high resolution battery-connected wireless video cameras concealed as rock boulders similar to the ones found at Cape Cross.

Police came across the equipment after tracking the spoor of a female and male who walked nearly 20 kilometres from Mile 7 to Cape Cross where they set up the equipment.

According to the police, the equipment was placed strategically to capture the seal culling area. The police found some of the images on the cameras but were not at liberty to release any.

The head of police has now ordered permanent patrols in the area.

Inspector-General of the Namibian Police, Sebastian Ndeitunga, described the incident as an “attempt to economically sabotage Namibia”.

The police chief said anyone who dares enter the site unauthorised henceforth risks arrest.

In May, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources said it would not renege on its set annual seal-culling quota despite protests from pressure groups and animal rights organisations to halt the process.

Police suspect anti- seal cull groups, such as Seal Alert, Fur Free SA, Sea Shepherd SA and “Beauty Without Cruelty”could be behind the thwarted plans.

In protest at the annual seal-culling exercise, the anti-sealing groups have reportedly petitioned the International Rugby Board, the Welsh Rugby Union, the South African Rugby and Football Union and the Fiji Rugby Union to oppose Namibia’s national rugby team from playing in the rugby World Cup in New Zealand in September.

This year’s harvest season is expected to result in the culling of 85000 seal pups and 6000 bulls, which is the quota given to the concession holders.

Seal bulls are shot, while seal pups are clubbed to death – a method that has attracted the attention of international animal welfare organisations and lobbyists who have labelled it “inhumane”.

The country, which heavily depends on its fishing sector as one of the largest contributors to its GDP, says the ever increasing presence of seal colonies is depleting its fish stocks.

Images of blood-stained seals, including white coated cubs being killed with a blow to the head on blood-stained icy shores of Canada and Cape Cross Namibia have long provided powerful ammunition in a worldwide campaign against the practice by animal rights campaigners aiming to bring a total ban on the annual exercise.

Seal culling is practised in five countries: Canada, where most of the world’s seal hunting takes place, Namibia, the Danish region of Greenland, Norway and Russia.

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