Seal Alert, Real Alert?

An Open Letter to Francois Hugo of Seal Alert Dear Mr Hugo, I respect the work people do to protect animals, the environment and earth in general.

There are many who devote their whole lives for this cause and sometimes fight a nearly lost battle. However, they do it with respect to others and therefore gain the same from others too.In the last couple of weeks, we have read numerous stories about the seal culling in Namibia and the way it is being handled.However, I find your reports seriously lack the support of any official research or supporting documentation.Are you, Francois Hugo, a qualified marine biologist or another one of those who desperately wants to write his name in the history books? Why doesn’t Seal Alert take the donated money, leave their comfortable home in Hout Bay and set up a research centre here in Namibia? Research centres give organisations like Seal Alert the chance to not only come up with suggestions on how to handle the current situation, but also to educate all and through research, work on sustainability of cape fur seal colonies.You allege that the reports from Namibia’s Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources are incorrect.This could be true, but how about coming here to prove it and working on a solution instead.You only show the negative side of Namibia and its protection of its environment, but not once have you mentioned that Namibia was the first country in the world to include protection of the environment into its constitution.Namibia protects nearly 14 per cent of its surface and that is without taking the 180 private game reserves into consideration.If you look at all the protected beaches where seal colonies can live in peace, I think it is quite a bit more than other countries offer.On top of all that, there are many organisations protecting, researching, educating and helping many other animal species in Namibia, with great success.These NGOs employ highly skilled researchers, vets and biologists to run the many research and educational centres in our country.Most of these are, as Seal Alert, dependant on donations received from local and international businesses, international NGOs, government and a very important source, the tourist.Seal Alert is trying to convince these same tourists to boycott travel to Namibia.Indirectly you are through your actions jeopardising not only the work and success of other NGOs, but also are actively a cause for increasing poverty.Maybe Seal Alert should take an example of other organisations in Namibia, as these have through hard work and research, successfully helped endangered species for over 20 years.Boycotting Namibia and its products is an easy way out for Seal Alert, but you don’t really understand the consequences yet.You only shine the light on your objective, but damage hundreds of others in the process, which in the end you can’t reverse anymore.With your boycott you are targeting innocent companies, directly or even indirectly, who in the past have generously supported NGOs, both in Namibia and neighbouring countries.You are playing with the lives of with thousands of people and this is not a computer game where you can press F1 for help or just start from the beginning.As you have started this boycott, I reckon we should knock on your door for every job lost and ask for a new one? As for every tourist that doesn’t visit Namibia and Namibian beer, diamonds and fish not sold, you are at fault.Why? Just because you are not looking at the bigger picture! Concerned Namibian Via e-mail Note: Name and address provided – EdHowever, they do it with respect to others and therefore gain the same from others too.In the last couple of weeks, we have read numerous stories about the seal culling in Namibia and the way it is being handled.However, I find your reports seriously lack the support of any official research or supporting documentation.Are you, Francois Hugo, a qualified marine biologist or another one of those who desperately wants to write his name in the history books? Why doesn’t Seal Alert take the donated money, leave their comfortable home in Hout Bay and set up a research centre here in Namibia? Research centres give organisations like Seal Alert the chance to not only come up with suggestions on how to handle the current situation, but also to educate all and through research, work on sustainability of cape fur seal colonies.You allege that the reports from Namibia’s Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources are incorrect.This could be true, but how about coming here to prove it and working on a solution instead.You only show the negative side of Namibia and its protection of its environment, but not once have you mentioned that Namibia was the first country in the world to include protection of the environment into its constitution.Namibia protects nearly 14 per cent of its surface and that is without taking the 180 private game reserves into consideration.If you look at all the protected beaches where seal colonies can live in peace, I think it is quite a bit more than other countries offer.On top of all that, there are many organisations protecting, researching, educating and helping many other animal species in Namibia, with great success.These NGOs employ highly skilled researchers, vets and biologists to run the many research and educational centres in our country.Most of these are, as Seal Alert, dependant on donations received from local and international businesses, international NGOs, government and a very important source, the tourist.Seal Alert is trying to convince these same tourists to boycott travel to Namibia.Indirectly you are through your actions jeopardising not only the work and success of other NGOs, but also are actively a cause for increasing poverty.Maybe Seal Alert should take an example of other organisations in Namibia, as these have through hard work and research, successfully helped endangered species for over 20 years.Boycotting Namibia and its products is an easy way out for Seal Alert, but you don’t really understand the consequences yet.You only shine the light on your objective, but damage hundreds of others in the process, which in the end you can’t reverse anymore.With your boycott you are targeting innocent companies, directly or even indirectly, who in the past have generously supported NGOs, both in Namibia and neighbouring countries.You are playing with the lives of with thousands of people and this is not a computer game where you can press F1 for help or just start from the beginning.As you have started this boycott, I reckon we should knock on your door for every job lost and ask for a new one? As for every tourist that doesn’t visit Namibia and Namibian beer, diamonds and fish not sold, you are at fault.Why? Just because you are not looking at the bigger picture! Concerned Namibian Via e-mail Note: Name and address provided – Ed