all photos on this page © Neil Shedden

Cape Fur Seals seen at Cape Cross Seal Reserve, Atlantic Coast of NW Namibia, 100km or so North of Swakopmund. A quarter of a million or so seals sure makes an impression - not least on the ears and nostrils - they honked noisily and stank! Cape Cross has the best known breeding colony of Cape fur seals along the Namib Coast. This appealing species isn't a true seal at all, but an eared seal, which is actually a species of sea lion.

Distribution and Numbers
There are two subspecies of this fur seal - the South African or Cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) and the Australian fur seal (A. pusillus doriferus). The Australian fur seal population is believed to be derived from the South African fur seal population.

South African: The South African fur seal is found along the coast of Namibia and the west and south coasts of South Africa. Breeding colonies stretch from Cape Frio in Namibia, close to the Angolan border, to Port Elizabeth in South Africa. The population size is estimated to be 1.5-2 million, about two thirds of these in Namibia.

Australian: Breeding colonies for the Australian fur seal are restricted to nine islands in Victoria and Tasmania, all in the Bass Strait, and there is a total population estimate of 30,000-50,000. The largest colony is at Seal Rocks in Victoria. The non-breeding range of the Australian fur seal extends from Kangaroo Island in South Australia to Tasmania and Port Macquarie in New South Wales.

Status
Both subspecies are listed on Appendix 2 of the CITES Convention.
South African: Commercial killing of South African fur seals has continued in some form since the early 1600s and more than 2.7 million South African fur seals have been killed since 1900, mostly in Namibia. In the 1980s the demand for the bulls' genitals by the Far Eastern aphrodisiac trade meant that only the genitals of many of the killed seals were taken. An unknown, but relatively small, number of fur seals are victims of marine pollution.

(Namibia): There is an annual commercial hunt of fur seals in Namibia. The 1998 quota was for 35,000 fur seal pups and 5,000 adult males to be killed between August and November, a total increase on the 1997 quota of 10,000 seals. There are currently plans to build a factory complex at Henties Bay which will act as an abattoir, bone meal plant, fat processing plant (with laboratories for the bottling and manufacturing of oils, capsules, creams and cosmetics), tannery, shoe factory, leatherware factory, canning factory, research laboratory, museum and retail sales outlet.

It is believed that the sale of seal genitalia for the aphrodisiac trade will be the most lucrative part of the industry. The companies planning the complex are seeking an increase in the numbers of seals killed each year. In 1994 an estimated 200,000 seals unexpectedly died on the Namibian coast, almost certainly due to to malnutrition and starvation because of a scarcity of fish caused by environmental conditions.

(South Africa): The hunt in South Africa has been suspended since 1990 pending further research. Fur seals in South Africa have been protected since 1973 by the Sea Birds and Seal Protection Act which affords complete protection but allows the government to grant permits to kill fur seals at specific colonies. Between 1973 and 1982 there were an average of 18,750 pups and 530 adult males killed per year, and from 1983 until the suspension the average was 3,500 pups and 4,300 adult males, although these figures were highly variable between years. There were plans to cull a limited number of fur seals around the island of Malgas in March 1999 in order to protect Cape gannet fledglings on the island from fur seal predation.

There are numerous interactions between South African fur seals and line, trawl and purse-seine fisheries with seals taking fish from the nets and lines or chasing the fish away. Many seals drown in the fishery nets and discarded fishing gear, or get caught in fishing boat propellers. Fishermen also claim that culling the fur seals will increase fish stocks. Studies have shown however that this is not necessarily the case due to the complexity of the marine food web, and that a seal cull might actually cause a reduction, for example, in the commercial catch of hake.

Australian: It is estimated that 200,000 Australian fur seals were killed for their fur in the 18th - 19th centuries. Restricted sealing continued in Tasmanian waters until as recently as 1970, but the fur seals are now protected by state law in both Victoria and Tasmania and, since 1975, by national legislation. Fishermen in Victoria claim that seals are drastically reducing commercial fish stocks but this is not substantiated by scientific evidence. Fur seals are attracted to fish in static and, less commonly, trawl fishing nets and many are drowned in nets and traps or shot by fishermen and fish farmers. The attraction of mainly subadult and adult male fur seals to fish farms in southern Tasmania has caused problems. Increased disturbance and increased pollution of fur seal habitat with pesticides and heavy metals are additional threats to the population.

Lifestyle
South African: Breeding sites tend to be on small rocky inshore islands, but are also found on the mainland in rocky areas and on sandy beaches. Adult males arrive at the breeding sites in mid-October to early November and fight for territory before the females come ashore. The territories of the successful males eventually contain an average of 7-30 females and are maintained for about 6 weeks. Pups are born with a black coat which they moult between late February and April. As adults they will develop either a dark grey back with lighter front (male), or a brownish-grey back with light brown front (female). Pups are born from early November to late December.

The female mates about 6 days after giving birth and then starts going to sea to feed. Initially she spends alternate periods of 3-4 days feeding at sea followed by an average of 2.5 days suckling her pup on land. The female nurses her pup for 8-10 months. South African fur seals are not known to migrate. They feed up to 180km offshore on pelagic schooling fish (particularly sardines, anchovies, bearded gobies, mackerel and demersal hake), cephalopods (particularly the Loligo species), crustaceans and occasionally cape gannets, cormorants and jackass penguins. The seals are preyed on by sharks and killer whales. Pups on the land are also taken by the black-backed jackal and brown hyena.

Australian: Australian fur seals haul out on off-shore islands, preferring bare rock, boulder stacks, boulder or pebble beaches, and sometimes caves. Adult males arrive at the breeding sites in late October and fight for territory before the females come ashore, the territories of the successful males eventually containing about 9 females. Most females arrive in late November and give birth about two days later. Pups are born from late October to late December with a black to brown coat. The female mates about 5-6 days after giving birth, and then starts alternating between feeding trips to sea for several days and returning to suckle her pup on land for 2-3 days. The lengths of the feeding trips increase over time.

The female nurses her pup for up to 10 months but some pups have been suckled for a second or even a third year. Males tend to disperse after the breeding season. The pup moults its natal coat between late February and mid-May for a coat of grey-brown with a fawn chest. As an adult, the pup develops either a grey-brown to dark brown coat with a paler chest and brown belly (male), or pale fawn to grey-brown coat with a pale chest and brown belly (female).

Australian fur seals are opportunistic feeders and prey on fish, cephalopods (particularly squid, cuttlefish and octopus), and some crustaceans. Their main predators are white sharks and killer whales.

Statistics
Adult males measure 1.8-2.3m in length and weigh 200-360kg, while adult females are 1.2-1.7m in length and weigh 40-110kg. Pups are 60-80cm long at birth and weigh 5-6kg, male pups slightly longer and heavier then female pups. South African fur seals have been known to dive to over 400m while Australian fur seals are known to dive to over 200m on occasion. Females become sexually mature at 3-4 years and males at 4-5 years, the males not reaching social maturity however until they are 10-13 years of age. South African fur seals may live up to 25 years of age, while Australian fur seal males live for about 19 years and females for 21 years.


Sealing  (from Earthlife Africa (ELA) - SA Environmental group)

In 1988/89 ELA Johannesburgh opposed the proposed slaughter of Cape Fur seals on the South African west coast and the then government laid down a moratorium on sealing. In 1989 we opposed the slaughter of Cape Fur seals in Namibia and a protest was held outside the Johannesburg office of the Namibian Department of Nature Conservation and Tourism (DNCT).

In 1992 we protested in Rosebank, Johannesburg, against the Namibian annual seal slaughter. In subsequent years pickets were held at the Namibian DNCT office in Johannesburg and 5000 protest postcards were printed signed and sent to president Nujoma. We also highlighted the lunacy of the seal slaughter during the devastating red tide through the AGA of SA. (see the Animal Groups Alliance of SA)

Seal Conservation Society - With ever-increasing threats from sources such as pollution, over-fishing, marine debris, entanglement in fishing gear and intentional killing, pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walruses) worldwide have a greater need than ever for protection. The Seal Conservation Society helps with that protection by promoting the conservation, welfare and study of the 33 living pinniped species. Photos & info on different seal species.

NSW Centenary of Federation Committee - Australian Fur Seal

South African fur seal species details, also Australian fur seal (from Jaap's Marine Mammal Pages)