At a time when global attention is shifting toward economic uncertainty, we want to thank you for continuing to stand with us and our seals. When conservation falls out of the headlines, your engagement ensures it doesn’t fall off the agenda.

We are on track for a high-impact year. Thanks to your ongoing support, we have rescued and disentangled 145 Cape fur seals for the year as of 07 May 2025. In April, we recorded 47 successful rescues (2 less than in April 2024). The most common entanglement threats remain consistent: recreational and commercial fishing line, and plastic packing straps. 

We are deeply concerned by a recent news report announcing plans for a multi-million-dollar seal harvesting and processing factory in the nearby town Henties Bay, which allegedly aims to kill and process up to 400 seals per day for fish feed, oil, supplements, and leather.

This proposal raises numerous red flags. The article frames this as a “long-term solution for Namibia’s growing seal population.”

Fact check: There is no scientific evidence that the seal population is increasing. Seeing more seals on the beach doesn’t mean the colony is growing — just like a cold day doesn’t mean global warming is over.

Seals are being blamed for diminishing fish stocks, but the real issue is overfishing, meaning more fish are harvested than the ocean can naturally replenish. Shifting blame onto a predator species distracts from the urgent need for responsible, science-based fisheries management.

Cape fur seals are not pests. Seals are keystone predators that help maintain the health of the marine ecosystem. Removing them could set off ecological imbalances that are irreversible.

When you take out a top predator, their prey populations might explode unchecked, marine biodiversity declines, and the marine ecosystems has the potential to collapse, affecting sustainable livelihoods for generations.

As of today, the factory is not yet built, there is only a signboard on the proposed site. We have not seen any confirmed quota approvals - or even formal applications - for the proposed harvest of 200,000 seals per year. We also cannot imagine that European markets, known for their sustainability and ethical import standards, would allow fish from aquaculture farms to be sold if hundreds of thousands of wild seals were being slaughtered to feed them.

Please rest assured: we are on high alert and closely monitoring every development.

If these plans advance, we will oppose this unethical, unscientific and cruel process with all our power through public advocacy, legal channels, international partnerships, and public awareness campaigns.

Thank you for being a part of this mission.

The Ocean Conservation Namibia Team

Ocean Conservation International, a non-profit organization registered under chapter 501(c)3 in the United States (EIN 884276768), collects donations on behalf of Ocean Conservation Namibia. All donations are fully tax deductible in the US.
Naude, Katja and Antoine are board members of Ocean Conservation International.