Archive | January 2012

Note

Jan20

Hello,  I am Paola from Italy and I keep this site updated.

He faces somewhat of a crisis, and finding $6500 a month to continue rehab is no easy task.

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http://sealalertsa.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/seal-reality-is-sometimes-a-difficult-pill-to-swallow/

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Seal-Reality Is Sometimes A Difficult Pill To Swallow

Jan15

 

 

Seal-Reality Is Sometimes A Difficult Pill To Swallow. Since making an appeal for contributions towards seal rescue costs a week ago, 10 supporters have collectively contributed $250 US Dollars. Seal Alert thanks each of you most kindly for the support and will be tanking each soon. However, my reality at the seal rescue facility, is that rescued seal pups are consuming 29/5kg boxes of pilchards a day in two feeds, this is costing me a day R1740 or $217 US Dollars. I trust therefore you see my predicament. I have to fund approximately R52 200 ($6500) in fish purchases alone each month, to continue the rehabilitation of the seals rescued and brought in by the public. I simply cannot continue spending $6500 a month and only receiving support of $250 or even $1000. This is the reality I have to face alone, there is just insufficient support for what I do and the saving of seal lives. As such, I will have to stop taking in seals brought in by the public, and instead only rescue those seals that come to my facility or those I can afford to personally save. The responsibility of continuing the rehabilitation of all those seals rescued falls directly on my shoulders, and therefore I have no option in the month’s ahead, to focus my attention not on educating, creating awareness and informing the general public, but instead finding the money to pay for existing rescue costs over the months ahead. As such this will be my last entry for awhile, as I need to focus on my business with my wife, to drive it to increase profits, so that I can self fund my responsibilities to these seals. Trust you will all understand. Thank you once again, for all the support, and lets hope the Ombudsman makes a positive finding to end the largest slaughter of seals that causes so much unseen suffering and misery to tens of thousands of seals affected by this nationally driven cruelty. -

PS – I will not be responding to enquiries, comments or emails, as I simply do not have the time. Please understand that I face somewhat of a crisis, and finding $6500 a month to continue rehab is no easy task, in addition I have staff at the centre and other costs to pay for and fund as well.

Francois Hugo

Please Consider The Costs Of Seal Rescue

Jan8

Please Consider The Costs Of Seal Rescue. As many of you will have read and even some of you rescued, seals pups have been stranding in their hundreds these past few months. Being the only facility of its kind to assist these seals, the burden of funding these costs rests on my shoulders. Its a very costly undertaking. A big bull will need to eat 20kg of fish a day to recover over months, and a pup will consume 6-8kg daily, Currently I am using 30 boxes of 5kg pilchards per day to feed the rescued seals, costing me R1800 or $225 US dollars a day. Its a living nightmare for one individual to try and fund this himself daily. I have just ordered 6tons which should last me the next few weeks which will require payment of R71 820 or $8,977. Appealing for a big sponsorship is just not the way to go. As its daily, monthly and constant, the best way to fund this is, if we all contribute a little each month. Please consider a $20 contribution to my paypal account to assist in saving these precious seal lives. Without US there is no-one, and as we know, if we dont help they die. I simply hate asking, what what alternative is there, stop rescue? Please consider this a monthly appeal. – Francois Hugo

 

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Loyalty and Bond of Cape Fur Seals Sometimes Truly Amazing

Jan8
Loyalty and Bond of Cape Fur Seals Sometimes Truly Amazing. About two years ago I was called to rescue a baby seal pup that had wondered into a fishing factory and was found asleep on the second floor. We bonded instantly, and he became known as Monday. Monday has developed and grown well, but has grown so close he seldom leaves my side 24-7. When I leave the centre to go home, he cries and wants to go with. So instead he curls up on the ramp to my entrance, and awaits my return in the morning. This concrete ramp has become his little concrete seal island, Monday’s “island” to one day command as a big alpha bull. Francois Hugo

Namibian Ombudsman Adv John Walters Meeting with Francois Hugo of Seal Alert-SA

Jan5

Namibian Ombudsman Adv John Walters Meeting with Francois Hugo of Seal Alert-SA, Officially and Privately. Having accepted my invitation to visit Seal Alert rescue facilities, I received a call from Adv John Walters that he would be in Hout Bay from 11am to 4pm. He brought along his lovely wife, her sister and brother-in-law. I showed him the centre, the rescued seals and then took him to the newbie puppery area and started tube feeding the babies. At stake the lives of millions of Cape fur seals earmarked to be beaten to death in the coming years in a foreign country. Pressure is not the word to describe the responsibility I felt. The moment I had Huggie Too, Slipway and Sante Claus in my arms, he had his wife click away urging her to take more. If anything can sway a foreign country in its policy to stop killing seals then, it must surely be the Ombudsman with the power and the babies with their power of love to change mindset. It was so great to see the Ombudsman part of this. We then went upstairs where I presented a 2 hours powerpoint presentation covering 900 slides. An intense session with the Ombudsman and his party glued to the LCD screen. Finally he could see how serious the seal situation was, what banning seals from islands has done, how fishermen kill more seals than the sealers, the buy out offer from Sealers and the misinformation of Minister of Fisheries had given on population numbers. Every aspect, every detail was covered in depth. My wife Nelda offered to take his wife and Sister for tea, No she replied I find this fascinating, lets complete the presentation. Later I took the Ombudsman for lunch which was enjoyed by all and then arranged a boat trip on one the popular tourist seal viewing boats. The harbour was full of tourists we could hardly find parking and the boat was so full we only had standing room. Once again he witnessed the alternative to clubbing seals, and how seals on islands generates immense income for traders and tour operators. He clearly saw how small the rock was and understood what banning seals from islands had done, and how seals if not banned would always prefer breeding on offshore habitat. All in all it was a great meeting, no terrific meeting. He was given the 132 MB powerpoint to study, and he thanked us sincerely and was so glad he had come and been given the opportunity to see the alternative to seal clubbing. A huge sense of peace and relief came over me. He did not mention or reveal when he would conclude his findings, and I felt it inappropriate to push. Considering our past disagreements between each other, I believe that what occurred today was historic. My attorney nearly fell off his chair upon hearing the Ombudsman had agreed to visit. Its now in the hands of fate. - Francois Hugo

Something Is Killing The Seals

Jan3

video:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150480113978449

Something Is Killing The Seals, and I Dont Know What Is Causing It. Usually I deal with babies, pups and sub-adults that are very weak and due to stress and starvation, seals if not treated goes into violent convulsions and dies. But this morning I heard heavy pounding flapping noises and found a big bull going into convulsions, before I could do anything he died. I suspect distemper virus from the mainland jackals in Namibia, caused by govt banning seals to the mainland to slaughter them, but whatever it is, it is killing all age groups, and I am struggling to save what I can. For a big bull to suddenly go into convulsions and die, is most unusual. Francois Hugo

My seal thoughts past and future

Jan1

Happy New Year To Everyone and may 2012 be a golden year.

 

My seal thoughts past and future. 2011 started like any other, but then Supreme Master Ching Hai stepped forward and funded a hugely costly legal opinion. After months and months the legal opinion was finally ready and sent to all heads of state in Namibia. An historic event, where a foreign individual had managed to lodge an official complaint in a foreign country and in which its contents were so correct and well researched it resulted in an official investigation at the highest level of government in Namibia. In doing so Seal Alert-SA, not only brought together the Prime Minister, Minister’s of Justice, Tourism, Fisheries and Trade but the Ombudsman as well of Namibia. In turn international organizations like WWF, IFAW, WSPA, Bont Ver Diere, Earthrace and Seashepherd to name just a few each read the opinion, and acted separately and swiftly. An economic report showing seal viewing generates 300% more than killing seals. Seashepherd, Earthrace and Seal Alert readied themselves to send in operatives to document the illegal and cruel seal harvest. Local organizations and individuals like Seals of Nam, Beauty Without Cruelty and National Council of SPCA’s responded with arranging protests, media coverage and petitions. Global televisions stations like BBC, Animal Planet, ABC, China CCTV and KBS got involved and commissioned programs on the seals. The largest seal slaughter on the planet was finally getting global attention. The year ended with an amazing Seal Conference in Namibia, with Seal Alert, WSPA and National SPCA forming a combined Seal Welfare Alliance where concerns and points were presented very professionally by all attending parties. It was an honour to be part of such a movement. To everyone no matter how small or large your involvement, collectively we are on the brink of changing a policy of killing seals that goes back centuries.

Around mid-year Seal Alert suffered a set back, thieves attempted to steal motors or catamaran, damaging it. Rescues of seals increased costs with fish purchases and Seal Alert was folding under the pressure, again supporters came to the fore, the “French Ladies”were of particular note, Bridget Bardot and again Supreme Master Ching Hai, not only responded but made it possible to rescue even more seals, buy more fish and repair the catamaran. Making Seal Alert even stronger than before. Shortly thereafter Seal Alert was filmed in programs for Animal Planet, China CCTV and Korean TV. Whilst this was all going on, seals which I believe were fleeing the disturbance of the daily harvest in Namibia, were swimming south and stranding with increasing numbers on our South African coastline 1600km away. Once again seal supporters like Neil, Kim and Yvonne came to the fore and rescued, captured and transported seal after seal daily. It was not uncommon to rescue 5 seals daily, not a day went by in the last half of 2011, that a seal’s life was not saved. An aerial survey of the recently repopulated extinct seal island after 200 years of extinction from harvesting, confirmed not only was the seal population stable but thriving, the entire island had returned to the seals. Thousands of seals safe and protected from future harvests and where their babies could be born in peace and safety. As the year drew to a close a sudden influx of sardines filled the bay around Seal Alert, and rescued seals and many, many others were naturally saved by this bounty. Soon cows started giving birth, and although a number were born and then abandoned, and then taken in by Seal Alert, with only 3 survived the others died knowing and being loved by humans. Whilst indeed sad to see this loss of life, the seals also taught invaluable lessons. One of which, unless pup suckles immediately after birth and gets its vital anti-bodies in colostrum, the chances of saving that baby are nil. It also showed that babies born healthy and suckling were no longer being swept off inappropriate banned to habitat and were now being raised safely on proper offshore islands. Further confirmation was given by govts own scientists which clearly showed seals are moving back to offshore islands all around the harvesting area.

The year drew to a close with Supreme Master Ching Hai making it possible to complete repairs to catamaran and centre, purchase a seal rescue bakkie, enclosure the baby rehab area, install a walk on jetty and in which a seal statue was erected in her honour. The year ended, with the Ombudsman agreeing to visit Seal Alert on 5th January 2012, prior to making his conclusions official on the unlawful seal harvest in Namibia.

Starting 2012, Seal Alert-SA has never been more ready, more equipped or more motivated to tackle the protection of seals in the year ahead. Attention is being focused on the Ombudsman’s visit, thereafter Seal Alert will start daily seal trips for seals to the nearby offshore seal colony to create daily awareness amongst thousands of international tourists. Seal rescues will continue, and I have 3 baby pups to raise for the year. I believe that although we saved hundreds of seals, we are only reaching 10% of those dying. If we consider that less than 10% of the seal population occurs in the waters around Seal Alert, we are looking at hundreds of thousands, maybe as many as half the seal population needing help from disentanglement, starvation or just ensuring there is food in the seas for them to survive and safe habitat on breed on. May I ask each of my face book friends, which currently number in excess of 3000 to consider a monthly contribution to Seal Alert of $20. The more that support this, the more the reality of saving an entire species will become a reality quickly. It is hugely expensive and a massive cost to a single individual to fund the tens of thousands needed to cover monthly rescues, but if we all contributed a little each together. The impossible becomes the possible and the gift of giving the greatest gift, the gift of life itself to each amazing and wonderful seal will repay you in ways beyond your imagination.

May you all have a great New Year in 2012.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA