THE CAPE FUR SEAL STOCK OF

NAMIBIA
 WHY ARE SEALS HARVESTED IN
NAMIBIA?
According to Chapter 11 of the Namibian Constitution which deals with
Principles of State Policy. Provisions relating to natural resources are
contained in Article 95, entitled ‘Promotion of the Welfare of the People’.
The article provides that:
The State shall actively promote and maintain the welfare of the people
by adopting, inter alia, policies aimed at the following:…

“ (l) maintenance of ecosystems, essential

ecological processes and biological diversity of
Namibia and utilization of living natural
resources on a sustainable basis for the benefit
of all Namibians, both present and future...”
 WHY ARE SEALS HARVESTED ?
The Government’s main objective for the fisheries sector
is to utilize the country’s Marine resources on a
sustainable basis and to develop industries based on
them in a way that ensures their lasting contribution to
the country’s economy and overall development
objectives.
Seals are considered as a natural resource from which
Namibians can derive economic benefits – consumptive
and non-consumptive.

The Namibian Government’s approach to seal harvesting

is guided by the same principles which are applied to the
utilization of any other natural resource falling within its
jurisdiction, namely:
- SUSTAINABLE UTILIZATION.
 WHY ARE SEALS HARVESTED?
The MARINE RESOURCES ACT no. 27 of 2000, which
has been passed by the Parliament and signed by the
President in terms of the Namibian Constitution is
published in terms of Article 56 of that Constitution.
The purpose of the act is:

“To provide for the conservation of the marine

ecosystem and the responsible utilization,
conservation, protection and promotion of
marine resources on a sustainable basis; for that
purpose to provide for the exercise of control
over marine resources; and to provide for
matters connected therewith.”
 Is the Cape fur seal listed as an Endangered species?
Are the Cape fur seal endangered with extinction?

•The conservation status of the Cape fur seal

as a species is of LEAST CONCERN, after
applying the IUCN criteria and the most recent
population data available.

•The revision was done as part of the top

predator project of the BCLME (LMR/EAF/03/02) and
will appear in the final report.
 CITES STATUS FACTS:

• Namibia is a party member of the Convention

on International Trade in Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

• Species are grouped in the Appendices

according to how threatened they are by
international trade.
• Appendix I includes species threatened with
extinction. CITES prohibits international trade in
specimens of these species except when the
purpose of the import is not commercial for
instance for scientific research. Trade in
specimens of these species is therefore permitted
only in exceptional circumstances.
 CITES STATUS FACTS:

• Arctocephalus spp. is listed in Appendix II

of CITES.

• Appendix II includes species not necessarily

threatened with extinction, but in which
trade must be controlled in order to avoid
utilization incompatible with their survival.

• Many wildlife species in trade are not

endangered, but the existence of an
agreement to ensure the sustainability of the
trade is important in order to safeguard
these resources for the future.
 How many breeding colonies are currently in
Namibia?
• 25 Breeding Colonies
identified during the C a p e F r io
December 2005 aerial
M owe Bay
census in Namibia, 11 20
situated on islands T o rra B a y
T o s c a n in i

L a titu d e ( ° E )
C a p e C ro s s

• Breeding colonies: Möwe P e lic a n P o in t

Bay, Possession Island, S a n d w ic h h a r b o u r

Toscanini, Torra Bay, C o n c e p t io n B a y

Pelican Point and Sylvia 25

H o lla m s b ir d I s la n d
S y lv ia H ill
Hill developed in recent D o lp h in H e a d

years K le in I c h a b o e , S t a p le R o c k , M a r s h a ll R e e f , B o a t B a y R o c k , D u m f u d g e o n R e e f
A t la s B a y , W o lf B a y
L o n g I s la n d , P o s s e s s io n I s la n d
A lb a t r o s s R o c k , V a n R e e n e n B a y , B la c k R o c k , S in c la ir I s la n d , L io n s H e a d

• Breeding colonies also

starting to expand into
Angola e.g. Baia dos 30
Tigres 10 15 20 25
L o n g it u d e ( ° S )
 How many Islands are inhabited by seals?
Co-hort: 1972 1977 1983 1986 1989 1993 1995 1996 1997 1998 2002 2006
Colony:                        
Cape Frio 0   1 3   477 3044 4337 4419 7191 10880 21109
2209
Cape Cross 17839 7 26623 35590 55247 61891 29990 35498 38564 48993 37394 65073
Pelican Point       0 0 3 24 12 0 0   1682
Sandwich
Harbour     0 672 4 292 502 756 26 33   1195
Conception Bay       0 5216 231 1576 693 0 52   114
Hollamsbird
Island 5042 2772 1945 0 3114 4902 961 2026 1827 3478 2285 4330

Mercury Island 0 0       35 0 0 0 0 0 0
Dolphin Head       3606   2500 0 141 158 0 0 1385
Klein Ichaboe         6 68 63 157 89 128   60
Marshall Reef 755 378   398 666 942     242 146 106 0
Staple Rock 2910 2114   2212 2325 1405     1542 1899 1462 1430
Boat Bay Rock 1691 978 1167 1618 2066 1240     693 883 669 780
Dumfudgeon
Rock 2875 779 883 1623 2003 1667       465 1099 742
1501
Wolf Bay 7443 7 26669 10616 24548 39534 9642 9158   36700 15184 19993
2375
Atlas Bay 8879 9 61438 16860 42223 62823 17031 13581   46225 18193 36396
Long Islands 12228 9840 13223 12812 22160 20170 8809 7751 12098 14835 7822 12702
Albatross Rock 3722 2393 5254   4354 1715 2031 1152 2451 2785 1335 1898
Black Rock   205 216 202 439 200 252 210 100 206 84 310

Van Reenen Bay 3243 3208 4953 4820 5590 5293 3011 3317 3989 5783 2953 2854
1087
Sinclair Island 15772 9 9419 8011 11139 8703 6992 7967 7186 10771 7472 9072
Lions Head 2769 3248 1614 1817 3437 6121 4501 4623 5529 8308 6163 5507
Sylvia Hill                       2723
Mowe Bay                       26
Toscanini                       514
Possession
Island
(North Reef)                       10055
Torra Bay                       5550
 Why are there no seals on some Islands?
HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS:

•Of the ~20 islands and rocks of Namibia, some had

seals and seabird colonies originally, others mainly seals
or seabirds
•Indiscriminate sealing started in the 17th century mainly
with British and American sealers and whalers
•The seal population was already reduced drastically by
1840

•Guano exploitation started in 1843 and by 1847 most

guano deposits had been removed (seabird breeding
habitat altered)

•Guano and sealing concessions were given to private

companies and exploitation continued until late 19th
century when after 1895 the sealing and guano
operations as well as the management of the islands was
 Why are there no seals on some Islands?
HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS:

•Of the ~20 islands and rocks of Namibia, some had

seals and seabird colonies originally, others mainly seals
or seabirds
•Indiscriminate sealing started in the 17th century mainly
with British and American sealers and whalers
•The seal population was already reduced drastically by
1840

•Guano exploitation started in 1843 and by 1847 most

guano deposits had been removed (seabird breeding
habitat altered)

•Guano and sealing concessions were given to private

companies and exploitation continued until late 19th
century when after 1895 the sealing and guano
operations as well as the management of the islands was
 HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS cont:
At the beginning of the 20th century:

•sealing and guano collection were controlled by the

government

•the seal population was at very low level

•the seabird breeding habitat had been modified through

guano removal

•seals still shared some islands with seabirds but started

to impact the birds and management actions were taken
to minimize this impact and protect both resources

•As hunter-gatherer human populations along the coast

disappeared, seals were able to form mainland colonies in
the south

•Sealing continued on the islands until the mid-80s, but by

then the bulk of sealing occurred on mainland colonies
 HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS cont:
Currently:

•3 seal mainland colonies are sealing concessions (Wolf,

Atlas and Cape Cross), and tourism takes place at several
(Cape Frio, Cape Cross, Pelican Point) and will resume in
the Sperrgebiet National Park)

•Sealing no longer takes place on the islands

•One guano concession is still active on the islands

(mainly Ichaboe)

•The islands where significant seabird populations occur

are managed by MFMR for the conservation of seabirds
(necessary due to decreasing populations and endangered
status of African Penguin, Cape Gannet and Bank
cormorant)
Example: penguin population
trends
Since the mid 1950s the Population decreased by 80%+
and the
9000
trend is continuing:

8000

7000

6000

5000

4000

3000

2000
1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007
Penguin population trends
Penguin population trends
WHY AREN’T FEMALES HARVESTED?

REPRODUCTION & LIFE

HISTORY
•Seals are longlived attaining 20 - 30 years
•Average female age at first parturition = 4
years
• Females give birth to a single pup between
November and December
•Females ovulate and mate within 10 days after
giving birth
•Embryo implantation is delayed and
development starts after 4 months
•Effective gestation lasts for eight months
•Lactation starts immediately after birth of the pup and
continues until weaning in September/October
 REPRODUCTION & LIFE
Pupping &
HISTORY
Mating

JAN Delayed
DEC
FE embryo
V B implantatio
Harvestin NO
n
g period
from July

MAR
T
OC

– 15 Nov
SEP

APR
Weaning
period =
AU

Sep/Oct AY
G

M Gestation
JUL JUN period = 8
months
 ARE NAMIBIAN SCIENTISTS WORKING IN ISOLATION?

Scientific collaboration:
• BCLME (Top predator
project)

• BENEFIT

• Standardised/ joint regional

aerial surveys, workshops
etc with MCM
 Scientific collaboration

• EAF (Environmental Risk

Assessment and cost
benefit analysis for inclusion
in the management plans)

• Norway (Advisors)

• Attendance of
international workshops,
seminars and congress
meetings
 Is sealing regulated and monitored in Namibia?

Sealing methods are currently controlled

through regulations stipulated under
section 61(1) of the Marine Resources
Act 27 of 2000, that:

• 1) Seals must be harvested in the presence of at least

one fisheries inspector.

• (2) A holder of a right relating to the harvest of seals

must identify a group of pups to be harvested, which
must be driven away from the sea and allowed to
settle down before clubbing begins, care being taken
to facilitate the escape of adult seals.
 Are sealers permitted to club indiscriminately?

Regulation 20 of the Marine Resources Act 27

of 2000 states that:
(3) After the identified pups have settled down,
harvesting to proceed as follows:

(c) a group of pups must be released from the group

referred to in subregulation (2) in the direction of the
sea;

(b) a clubber must kill a pup by clubbing it on the top of

the head with a sealing club, when a group released in
terms of paragraph (a) moves past the clubbers;

(c) the inspector overseeing the harvest must be satisfied

that a pup, which has been clubbed, is dead;

(d) a sticker must pierce the heart of the pup with a knife,
 Are sealers permitted to club bulls?

Regulation 20 of the Marine Resources Act 27

of 2000 states that:

(4) Adult seals selected for harvesting must –

(a) be killed on land by shooting the seal with

a rifle in the head so that the bullet
immediately kills the seal;

(b) the inspector overseeing the harvest

must be satisfied that a seal, which has been
shot, is dead.
Employment in seal industry
• The total employment in the seal
industry is 150 people
• Industry revenue is N$ 5 million
• The Namibian unemployment rate is
36%
• Seal industry has helped a few
Namibians who would have been part
of that statistic to get an income and
support their extended families
Investment N$ 4.5 million
Includes Seal
processing factory, craft
centre and workshop

Type of Products Seal skins and oil

(exported and sold
locally), seal carcass
meal (sold locally) and
seal penises (export
Revenue to and sold000.
N$ 206 locally)
Calculated
Government on current TAC
Has eco-tourism developed in Namibia?

TOURISM AT CAPE
CROSS:
- Visitors consist of local
and foreign people
Year Number of Gross direct
visitors income
2003 70 427 1 708 322

2004 62 998 1 504 695

2005 57 597 1 904 012
2006 53 113 2 071 485
2007 -July 25 949 984 878