THE ECONOMICS OF SEAL HUNTING AND SEAL WATCHING IN NAMIBIA Final report 2011 - Commissioned by: Humane Society International World Society for the Protection of Animals Bont voor Dieren (NL) Respect for Animals (UK) FINAL Report prepared by: Economists at Large Pty Ltd Melbourne, Australia www.ecolarge.com [email protected] Phone: +61 3 9005 0154 | Fax: +61 3 8080 1604 PO Box 256, Noble Park, Melbourne, Australia, 3174 Citation: Economists at Large, 2011. The economics of seal hunting and seal watching in Namibia, a report for Humane Society International, World Society for the Protection of Animals, Bont Voor Dieren (NL) and Respect for Animals (UK), prepared by Economists at Large, Melbourne, Australia. Authors: Roderick Campbell Tristan Knowles Simon O’Connor Disclaimer: The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the organisations involved. This report is distributed with the understanding that the authors are not responsible for the results of any actions undertaken on the basis of the information that is contained within, nor for any omission from, or error in, this publication. Acknowledgements: We would like to thank all the operators, tourism bureaus, government departments, non- government organisations, researchers and individuals who assisted us with this research. Without the generous contributions and cooperation of the many stakeholders involved, this report would not have been possible. The economics of seal hunting and seal watching in Namibia. Economists at Large. 2 FINAL Contents 1 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 8 2 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 16 3 Namibia ............................................................................................................................ 21 4 Cape fur seals in Southern Africa ..................................................................................... 21 5 The economics of seals ..................................................................................................... 23 5.1 Economic value of natural resources ........................................................................ 23 5.2 Total economic value ................................................................................................. 23 5.3 Calculating economic value ....................................................................................... 25 5.4 The total economic value of seals ............................................................................. 27 6 Seal Hunting in Namibia ................................................................................................... 29 6.1 Seal hunting globally .................................................................................................. 30 6.2 Why does seal hunting occur? ................................................................................... 31 6.3 Fisheries in Namibia .................................................................................................. 31 6.4 Management of seal hunting .................................................................................... 33 6.5 Methods and Regulations for the seal hunt .............................................................. 34 6.6 Effectiveness, humaneness and implications of sealing methods ............................. 35 6.7 Locations where sealing occurs ................................................................................. 38 6.8 Products derived from seals ...................................................................................... 42 6.9 Economic Impact of Seal Hunting in Namibia ............................................................ 54 6.10 Tax revenue from seal hunting ................................................................................ 66 6.11 Employment supported by seal hunting ................................................................. 67 6.12 Growth trends for seal hunting ............................................................................... 68 6.13 Impact of proposed EU ban on seal products ......................................................... 69 6.14 Conclusions .............................................................................................................. 70 7 Tourism and Nature tourism in Namibia .......................................................................... 71 7.1 Size of Namibia’s tourism industry ............................................................................ 71 7.2 Number of visitors ..................................................................................................... 72 7.3 Motivation for travel to Namibia ............................................................................... 74 7.4 Tourism growth trends .............................................................................................. 76 7.5 Nature-based tourism attractions ............................................................................. 77 The economics of seal hunting and seal watching in Namibia. Economists at Large. 3 FINAL 7.6 Seasonality in Namibian Tourism .............................................................................. 78 8 Seal watching tourism in Namibia .................................................................................... 81 8.1 Seal watching at Cape Cross ...................................................................................... 83 8.2 Seal watching at Pelican Point ................................................................................... 87 8.3 Seal watching at Cape Frio ........................................................................................ 89 8.4 Seal watching at Dias Point and Atlas Bay area ......................................................... 91 8.5 Summary of seal watching tourism in Namibia ......................................................... 93 8.6 Conclusions ................................................................................................................ 99 9 References ...................................................................................................................... 100 10 Appendices ................................................................................................................... 107 10.1 2005, 2007 and 2008 prices for seal products ....................................................... 107 10.2 Estimated value of seal hunting (2005, 2007 and 2008) ....................................... 109 10.3 Actual figures from Warren and Ladle (2006) ....................................................... 110 10.4 TAC and actual slaughter levels (1990-2008) ........................................................ 111 10.5 Application process for sealing concessions .......................................................... 112 10.6 Estimated wages .................................................................................................... 112 10.7 Socio-economic profile .......................................................................................... 114 The economics of seal hunting and seal watching in Namibia. Economists at Large. 4 FINAL Figures, charts and tables Figure 1: Map showing locations for seal watching tourism .................................................. 11 Figure 2: Framework for valuing seal watching ...................................................................... 19 Figure 3: Chain of custody for seal products in Namibia ........................................................ 43 Figure 4: Map showing locations for seal watching tourism .................................................. 82 Chart 1: Total allowable catch (TAC) (1990 - 2007) ................................................................ 12 Chart 2: Estimate of seal watching tourists in Namibia in 2008 ............................................. 14 Chart 3: Total Economic Value (TEV) of seals in Namibia ....................................................... 27 Chart 4: Seals slaughtered globally (2005) .............................................................................. 30 Chart 5: Total allowable catch (TAC) in Namibia (1990 - 2007) .............................................. 37 Chart 6: TAC and seals slaughtered (1990 - 2007) .................................................................. 39 Chart 7: TAC and adult seals slaughtered (1990 - 2007) ......................................................... 41 Chart 8: Producer prices for maize and millet in Namibia (1991 - 2007) ................................ 51 Chart 9: Summary of values (2005, 2007 and 2008) ............................................................... 61 Chart 10: Potential and verifiable export values (2005, 2006 and 2008) ............................... 63 Chart 11: International visitor arrivals to Namibia (2005 - 2007) ........................................... 72 Chart 12: International arrives to Namibia by Country of Origin - African ............................ 73 Chart 13: International arrives to Namibia by Country of Origin - Non-African .................... 74 Chart 14: Purpose of visit for top two African and non-African arrivals ................................. 74 Chart 15: Purpose of visit for African and non-African arrivals