Yesterday I had the opportunity to be one of a few local celebrities who spoke out against the scheduled culling of nearly 90,000 Cape Fur Seals in Namibia in July. We gathered at a press conference at The Capetonian Hotel in town and each had a chance to share our thoughts on the matter and why we were backing Beauty Without Cruelty's call to action for people to boycott Namibian products & tourism until they change the legislation on this matter.
I have to admit though that it took me a few days to pluck up the courage to watch some of the links about past culls that were sent to me prior the conference. Why? Because I knew it would upset me. Because I knew I didn't want to see it for myself and then feel helpless that it might go ahead. Because I had the CHOICE as to whether I pay heed to this gross violation of animal rights or not. But I eventually bit the bullet and watched devastating footage of thousands of defenseless seal pups being violently clubbed to death with crude wooden clubs with a nail at the end and was appalled and heart broken that none of those animals had or have a choice in what happens to them.
They don't have the luxury that I have to ignor that this is going to happen and stay ignorant that across our borders a government is choosing to ignor international outcry. They don't have a choice when 150 unskilled labourers round them up, terrified and defenceless and blugeon them to death. They don't have a choice or say when the SPCA in Namibia irresponsibly justifys this horror by saying that Seals aren't animals. They don't have a choice when their pelts are sold for $7 a piece to full the sickest part of the fashion industry or a choice about the inhumane method of killing them and a government that is ignoring international banning of clubbing and choosing to do it anyway. They don't have a choice about 50% of their population being culled anually in Namibia despite Cape Fur Seals being on the endangered species list. They don't have a choice in greed to make money from pelts meaning that no-one is looking at sustainable ways to promote and expand the already popular eco-tourism industry in Namibia.
They dont have a choice, but I do. Everyone of us and every single person who is informed on this violation, this cruelty, this barbaric practice, DOES HAVE A CHOICE. We have the choice to say that this is NOT OK. We have the choice to inform tourists visiting Namibia that this is how they treat their seal colony. We have the choice to use all means possible to raise our voices in outcry that this is NOT OK and the choice to be the voice for the 86000 seal pups and 5000 bulls that are destined for the cruelest imaginable death on July 1st.
By making the choice to say that it's NOT OK and boycotting Namibia and hitting them where it hurts (their pockets) we may just make our plea heard and see this gross violation of animal rights stopped.
The following footage shows how savage this cull is (warning - graphic content): http://tinyurl.com/5wfb3we
