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Concern over seal quotas
THE Wildlife Society of Namibia has expressed concern over the large increase in seal quotas this year.
Cabinet last week gave the go-ahead for 40 000 seals to be clubbed to death.
In a statement released yesterday, the Wildlife Society questioned whether the bull population had had a chance to recover from the 1994 natural disaster which resulted in a large reduction of the seal population.
This year's quota allocation is an increase of 10 000 on last year's quota.
The seal quotas released by Cabinet for this year have been set at 15 000 pups and 3 000 bulls to be culled at Cape Cross, and 20 000 pups and 2 000 to be clubbed to death at Luderitz.
"The Society would like to see that the scientific data, research and results of aerial surveys conducted by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources be made public and that the process is transparent," the statement said.
The Wildlife Society, which has been given permission to observe the harvest, said they supported the concept of sustainable utilisation of natural resources, and, therefore, accepted there was no scientific reason not to harvest seals.
However, the Society said, seal harvesting should be subject to the provision
that quotas were set according to scientific advice and that there was comprehensive management and monitoring, and that the harvesting methods were humane, it stated.
Added the Society: "It has not been possible to demonstrate scientifically what impact a seal population has on fish stocks and there is no scientific proof that fewer seals would result in more fish available to the fishing industry." - Nampa
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July 29, 1998
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