British journalists arrested while documenting seal hunt

Two journalists were convicted of entering a protected marine area without a permit in Namibia while filming the clubbing of seals, the Washington Post has learnt.

After appearing in a magistrates court in the coastal town of Swakopmund, they were given the choice of 12 months in jail or fine of 10,000 Namibian dollars each - about $1,200, along with a six-month suspended sentence, said Nomibian police spokesman Angula Amulungu.

According to the Washington Post, their employer, the British investigative agency Ecostorm, has agreed to pay the fine, said spokesman Andrew Wasley.

Jim Wickens, a British journalist and his South African cameraman Bart Smithers tried to document the seal hunt at the Cape Cross Seal Reserve in western Namibia at about 7 am on 16 July.

The pair were filming the killing of seals for about 20 minutes before a group of hunters approached and assaulted them, reportedly punching them to the ground and hitting them with clubs, said the Press Gazette.

Andrew Wasley, also the co-director of Ecostorm, told the Press Gazette: "Clearly this was a violent and unwarranted attack on two journalists doing their job; gathering information and pictures of the highly secretive Namibian seal hunt.
"As well as calling for the immediate release of Jim Wickens and Bart Smithers, we want the Namibian authorities to investigate the assaults and theft of equipment."

Jim and Bart were working with Bont voor Dieren – a Dutch charity which is a member of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) – when they were reportedly attacked by a group of seal hunters armed with clubs.

A spokeswoman from the WSPA said their cameras and videos footage were seized by police before were arrested on suspicion of trespass and obstruction, according to the Press Gazette.

The pair were detained for several hours in the town of Henties Bay after their arrest and before being released on bail. The attackers remain at large.

According to the Washington Post, Namibia's seals number about 850,000 and live on a dozen remote, rocky islands where have a sparse population off its southern African country.

More than 90,000 seals will be clubbed to death during the annual sealing season, which started in early July.

The hunt reportedly takes place under clandestine circumstances to avoid the glare of publicity and upsetting tourists.

The Namibian government has said seals consume 900,000 tons of fish each year, more than a third of the fishing industry's catch, and the fisheries needed to be protected.

Animal welfare groups counter that most of the seals killed are nursing pups.