From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November 2000--

Namibian sealing

WINDHOEK--Starting the largest annual slaughter of marine mammals
in the southern hemisphere in mid-August, Namib-ian fisheries minister
Abraham Iyambo barred photographers from the beaches, but couldn't keep
the M-Net TV show Carte Blanche from broadcasting video on October 1 of
sealers killing seals in flagrant disregard of rules which were supposed to
minimize animal suffering.
In July, after the Atlantic Canadian seal hunt ended with only
94,000 seals killed out of a quota of 285,000, Iyambo doubled the Namibian
seal pup quota from 30,000 to 60,000, and raised the bull quota from 5,000
to 7,000.
The action looked like a naked grab for market share-- although
seal pelts and meat from past Atlantic Canadian seal hunts are still
abundant in storage. However, like Newfoundland fisheries minister John
Effords, Iyambo claimed--without presenting evidence--that the escalated
sealing was necessary to protect depleted fish stocks.