home

The Sea Lion Rescue Centre was started 3 years ago as a private initiative to investigate the authorities and welfare organisations involved in killing every stranded seal that beached itself .

Our Cape Fur Seals have been a protected species since 1973 in terms of the Sea-birds and Seal Protection Act (Act 46 of 1973).But,ironically,South Africa only suspended clubbing and culling in 1990.  In 1999 Francois Hugo from Seal Alert SA became aware that many of these seals were beaching themselves purely due to starvation and, therefore, could be easily treated and rehabilitated. So he started to investigate and ask questions, and helping these seals where he could. Francois got the impression that the SPCA Cape of Good Hope, in collaboration with the Department of Environment Affairs (DEAT), Marine and Coastal Management (MCM), Cape Nature Conservation (CNC), SANCCOB, Dolphin Action Group and WWF-SA were involved in either killing the stranded seals or turning a blind eye to the matter. Certainly, Francois' humanitarian efforts were blocked. As the media started to report on this, the SPCA and MCM appeared to get rather nervous and started to claim that they were treating seals. Francois got the impression that there was a major cover-up. Eventually, two years and many killed seals later, Francois, who by now had obtained international support, managed to secure sufficient evidence to take the matter to the Public Protector �s office. After a 10 month investigation, the Public Protector condemned the DEAT, MCM and SPCA. He suggested that criminal charges might be laid, and questioned whether the SPCA seal rescue permit should not be withdrawn. The present situation is that Cape Nature Conservation is busy driving pregnant females off islands so that their pups drown. Their very presence, never mind their actions, on these islands is unlawful. The MCM has stated in writing that seal welfare and rehabilitation is not their responsibility and has delegated this to the SPCA. But the Public Protector found that such delegation was illegal, as was the CNC activities with seals. Also the SPCA removed seals illegally prior to March 2001.This has been confirmed by a former SPCA inspector who has stated that 99%were routinely destroyed. The SPCA has claimed that it is successfully treating seals, even though there are no seal protocols, pools and quarantine periods, with unacceptable facilities, namely housing seals in dog kennels amongst diseased stray dogs. Seals are now being transported in disease infected vans, sometimes with dead distempered dogs, with untrained personnel to a private vet, Dr. Oakley, who has no quarantine facility, no recognised specific seal training, no seal rescue protocols. The SPCA further claims that seals are now being treated at the MCM Sea Fisheries Research facility, where research is done on diseased species. The pool at this facility is used for live seal exports to zoos and aquariums overseas.  In three years Francois has not witnessed one seal being effectively treated, rehabilitated and released. Every seal he knows of, taken by the SPCA, appears to have died under inhumane and very suspicious circumstances. The public protector himself was witness to one seal being treated inhumanely and was prevented from witnessing the seal's �release. 

Francois also wonders how they are managing to kill the seals humanely. None of the vets he knows, can even find a seal �s vein on an immobile seal, let alone a struggling 250kg one. One wildlife vet had to do a post post-mortem just to see if he could find it, after he was advised telephonically by an overseas expert in Francois' office. Recently on the national television programme 3rd degree, Francois was asked by the head of MCM, Mr. Horst Kleinschmidt, to submit an application to rescue and treat our seals. Kleinschmidt claimed he never received any such application. Which was odd, to say the least, as Francois and Sea Shepherd International have submitted five such applications in the past two years. Kleinschmidt is apparently to be taken to task in this matter by the Public Protector �s office. Francois is now informed that the SPCA and MCM are building a case file on him so that he can be criminally charged for helping seals without a permit. This despite the fact that MCM �s lawyer and the Public Protector �s office are unsure of whether there is even a need to apply for a permit, as MCM says that seal welfare is not their responsibility. Apart from a generous grant from Sea Shepherd International to purchase an inflatable boat, and help revamp his sports fishing vessel, Francois receives no funding. To date the exercise has cost him over R500 000,a fraction of what similar operations cost world-wide. 

But despite his limited resources and what might be perceived as bully-boy tactics against him, he is continuing in the fight. For such is the stuff that true heroes are made of.