Seal harvesters fixate on male genitals, ditch rest
Not interested in the whole package
Parliamentarians are worried that seal quotas are under-exploited, robbing the country of diverse economic opportunities.
The unchecked growth of Namibia’s seal population stems from quota holders focusing almost exclusively on harvesting bull seals for their genitals while neglecting the rest of the animal, including meat and valuable by-products, due to a lack of demand.
Chairperson of the parliamentary standing committee on natural resources, Tjekero Tweya, presenting the committee’s findings in parliament on Monday, argued that the current system benefits only a handful of investors while overlooking broader industrialisation applications.
“It is true that seals are overpopulated. Why? The ministry of fisheries issues quotas for harvesting, and this year, 60 000 seals were allocated. Of these, approximately 8 000 are bulls, while the rest are pups,” he said.
Tweya noted that Namibia faces international pressure due to seals being listed as an endangered species. He added that foreign investors are only interested in seal genitals for their alleged medicinal purposes, meaning the 8 000 bulls are targeted, while the remaining 52 000 seals, including their meat, oil and other by-products, are largely discarded.
“These six or seven quota holders will only focus on genitals because that’s where their income comes from,” Tweya said. “The rest of the seal remains unused due to the lack of a market.”
Missed economic opportunities
Tweya stressed that a lack of an industrial base for seal processing prevents Namibia from fully benefitting from the resource.
Seal meat is rich in protein, but without a local market, it is not harvested. He emphasised that industrialisation requires different investors to establish processing facilities for products like Omega-3 oil and lotions. Instead of discarding the meat, he suggested it could be utilised locally instead of being solely earmarked for export.
The committee’s findings show that seal numbers continue to rise because quota holders lack the capacity to harvest or sell seal products. Instead, they transfer their rights to the seal factory in Henties Bay, which operates solely through agreements with rights holders and does not receive quotas itself.
Additionally, the six-month harvesting season from 1 July to 15 November is reportedly insufficient. Observations indicate that bulls appear in large numbers only towards the end of November, after the season closes. As a result, the industry is unable to fully capitalise on the allocated quota.
To address these issues, the fisheries and marine resources ministry should extend the harvesting season until the end of November, the committee recommended.
Tweya further suggested that the ministry actively promote local consumption of seal meat through the Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust. Another key recommendation was to increase the number of quota holders and expand the overall quota from 50 000 to 200 000 to manage the growing seal population sustainably.
Deputy minister of home affairs Lucia Witbooi supported the proposal to extend the harvesting season.
Controversy over seal harvesting
Deputy fisheries minister Sylvia Makgone revealed that government receives a flood of complaints about seal harvesting every year. She said as the harvesting season approaches, the ministry is inundated with letters of opposition – sometimes as many as 10 000 per day.
One such letter urged: “Stop the massacre of Cape fur seals. The Namibian government is promoting the brutal and senseless slaughter of nursing seal pups and bulls. These pups are separated from their mothers and killed in front of each other.”
Opponents argue that South Africa banned seal harvesting without harming its fisheries and urge Namibia to do the same. They believe that the continued killing of seals, especially pups, is inhumane and unnecessary.
In response, fisheries minister Derek Klazen acknowledged the criticism but defended the government’s approach. He admitted that the ministry receives a significant number of complaints, which reflect public sentiment, but insisted that Namibia is trying to manage its seal population in the best way possible. He also suggested that the country could learn from Canada’s seal management practices to explore better solutions that balance conservation with economic benefits.
Chairperson of the parliamentary standing committee on natural resources, Tjekero Tweya, presenting the committee’s findings in parliament on Monday, argued that the current system benefits only a handful of investors while overlooking broader industrialisation applications.
“It is true that seals are overpopulated. Why? The ministry of fisheries issues quotas for harvesting, and this year, 60 000 seals were allocated. Of these, approximately 8 000 are bulls, while the rest are pups,” he said.
Tweya noted that Namibia faces international pressure due to seals being listed as an endangered species. He added that foreign investors are only interested in seal genitals for their alleged medicinal purposes, meaning the 8 000 bulls are targeted, while the remaining 52 000 seals, including their meat, oil and other by-products, are largely discarded.
“These six or seven quota holders will only focus on genitals because that’s where their income comes from,” Tweya said. “The rest of the seal remains unused due to the lack of a market.”
Missed economic opportunities
Tweya stressed that a lack of an industrial base for seal processing prevents Namibia from fully benefitting from the resource.
Seal meat is rich in protein, but without a local market, it is not harvested. He emphasised that industrialisation requires different investors to establish processing facilities for products like Omega-3 oil and lotions. Instead of discarding the meat, he suggested it could be utilised locally instead of being solely earmarked for export.
The committee’s findings show that seal numbers continue to rise because quota holders lack the capacity to harvest or sell seal products. Instead, they transfer their rights to the seal factory in Henties Bay, which operates solely through agreements with rights holders and does not receive quotas itself.
Additionally, the six-month harvesting season from 1 July to 15 November is reportedly insufficient. Observations indicate that bulls appear in large numbers only towards the end of November, after the season closes. As a result, the industry is unable to fully capitalise on the allocated quota.
To address these issues, the fisheries and marine resources ministry should extend the harvesting season until the end of November, the committee recommended.
Tweya further suggested that the ministry actively promote local consumption of seal meat through the Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust. Another key recommendation was to increase the number of quota holders and expand the overall quota from 50 000 to 200 000 to manage the growing seal population sustainably.
Deputy minister of home affairs Lucia Witbooi supported the proposal to extend the harvesting season.
Controversy over seal harvesting
Deputy fisheries minister Sylvia Makgone revealed that government receives a flood of complaints about seal harvesting every year. She said as the harvesting season approaches, the ministry is inundated with letters of opposition – sometimes as many as 10 000 per day.
One such letter urged: “Stop the massacre of Cape fur seals. The Namibian government is promoting the brutal and senseless slaughter of nursing seal pups and bulls. These pups are separated from their mothers and killed in front of each other.”
Opponents argue that South Africa banned seal harvesting without harming its fisheries and urge Namibia to do the same. They believe that the continued killing of seals, especially pups, is inhumane and unnecessary.
In response, fisheries minister Derek Klazen acknowledged the criticism but defended the government’s approach. He admitted that the ministry receives a significant number of complaints, which reflect public sentiment, but insisted that Namibia is trying to manage its seal population in the best way possible. He also suggested that the country could learn from Canada’s seal management practices to explore better solutions that balance conservation with economic benefits.
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