NAMIBIA

Much to the dismal
of conservationists and I
scientific community, the
Namibian Government authorised the Aitioter of 17,450
more of its Cape htr seals this
W 'Porting aside ques
M eCsostainable utilisation. the Narnibian sea] hunt
dw aveflest in the world,"
Woo David Barritt, direc 41 the International Fund
ir Aamcnal Welfare in Africa.

The population of seals
id pow down further when
bw 1"3. an unexplained
W&W event led fish stocks
,sow be@vnd the feeding
or of seals, resulting in
qmvedented starvation for
a wok of Namibia. More
= 95 per cent of the seal
qp born in 1994 died and
a population was reduced
F,vV so balf-a-million seals.

VW consequences of
dWcnewinate sealing could
p4hmmwrous for Namibia in
v6M run, say conserva Now 'Stating is an emoRawL ft is quite probable
iW)* it ' does not stop
JW& 05 economy Will SUfp-tv wA low tourists who
loWdSed by the cruelty; it
Oft valopected to boycotts
panowmatxmial organisation way well have a
harder obtaining inter and aid," says Baritt.