{"id":47558,"date":"2023-12-19T05:30:08","date_gmt":"2023-12-19T03:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/law-enforcement-efforts-sharpened-to-clampdown-on-abuse-and-exploitation-of-seals-on-cape-shores-20231219\/"},"modified":"2025-03-19T21:59:28","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T19:59:28","slug":"law-enforcement-efforts-sharpened-to-clampdown-on-abuse-and-exploitation-of-seals-on-cape-shores-20231219","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/law-enforcement-efforts-sharpened-to-clampdown-on-abuse-and-exploitation-of-seals-on-cape-shores-20231219\/","title":{"rendered":"Law enforcement efforts sharpened to clampdown on abuse and exploitation of seals on Cape shores"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The City of Cape Town and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) recently sharpened law enforcement efforts to clampdown on the abuse and exploitation of seals for interactive photo shoots on Cape shores, particularly in Hout Bay.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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However amazing the scope in travelling guides\/blogs\/articles to the Mother City might be, visitors to Hout Bay don\u2019t seem to have a one-search Google result warning tourists to protect our local Cape fur(ry) friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the insight and useful tips, what-to-do\u2019s and what-not-<\/span>to-do\u2019s online platforms offer those touring Cape Town, People\u2019s Post<\/span> felt the need to add another big \u201cNot to do\u201d<\/span> concerning seals at Hout Bay Harbour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myths about Cape fur seals<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, a myth needs busting as the Operations Director of Hout Bay Seal Rescue Centre (HBSRC) Kim Krynauw believes too many people consider seals to be \u201cvicious\u201d or \u201caggressive\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI heard a famous Cape Town radio presenter this morning talking and projecting seals as being such \u2018vicious\u2019 and \u2018violent\u2019 creatures. All that\u2019s doing is creating a misconception that seals can be murdered and killed,\u201d Krynauw said on Thursday 30 November. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe just had a killing on Strand Beach [on Tuesday 28 November] at the pavilion where they beat a seal to death. Seals are wild animals \u2013 they need to be stayed away from! They are not violent creatures that would just randomly go and attack.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

READ | Rescue mission sends Hout Bay seals 900 km away<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only reasons why seals would attack<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Starvation \u2013 due to overfishing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Pollution \u2013 a seal might be infested with plastic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Noise pollution \u2013 levels of noise due to oceanic traffic and on land as visitors on the beach increase.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThe other day we had a seal that died. When we performed the postmortem, we pulled out so much plastic from his intestines, it\u2019s just insane! We can\u2019t allow radio presenters to misrepresent these beautiful animals like that, because it might warrant some psycho as reasons to murder them.\u201d<\/annotation><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    HBSRC\u2019s pamphlet urges people spotting seals:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n