At the time of Namibia's independence (in 1990) the National policy objectives for the fisheries sector were clearly stated in the White Paper policy document entitled 'Towards Responsible Development of the Fisheries Sector' (December 1991, p. 42 and 44) as follows:

The Government's main objective for the fisheries sector is to utilize the country's fisheries resources on a sustainable basis and to develop industries based on them in a way that ensures their lasting contribution to the country's economy and overall development objectives. All stocks will otherwise be exploited on a sustainable basis and at moderate levels, in general below that estimated to give maximum sustainable yields. Seals are considered to be exploitable resources and will be utilized through culling, but conserved at safe sustainable population levels.

Following the 1994/95 mass mortality event the policy regarding seal utilization appears to have moved away from that stated above. While the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources has reaffirmed that the Namibian Government does not harvest seals in order to promote fish survival, he stated that "The Ministry has advanced a plan to cut [the population] to 500000 seals over the next five to seven years - (The Namibian, 14 July 1994). He suggested that this would be a "manageable number" (op cit.). He also stated that "management decided to reduce the population size in view of an obviously over-populated situation" [African Wildlife vol. 49(3) - 13-15].

At the same time, in an effort to clarify the policy on seals, the Namibian Government issued a press release through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which stated: "As a matter of fact, the seal population has flourished to such an extent that they represent a very real threat to other marine life with an equal right to protection and sustainable exploitation. The fishing industry, -the fourth largest sector of the Namibian economy -would be genuinely threatened by the uncontrolled proliferation of seals. Therefore, if the seals are allowed to breed without any degree of control, this would, without a shadow of a doubt, place the entire industry -not to mention the thousands of jobs it provides as well as the very survival of the seals themselves -in serious jeopardy.

Despite this real threat, the seals are not being harvested at the behest of the fishing industry merely to reduce their numbers. The Namibian Government's approach to the question of seal harvesting is guided by the same principles which apply to the utilization of any other natural resource failing within its jurisdiction - namely, that these be utilized on a sustainable basis, to the benefit of the inhabitants of the country. It was for this reason that a decision had to be taken to curb and maintain Namibia's seal population at a sustainable level of 550,000 - down from the totally unsustainable level of 860,000 foraging seals.

The unusually high number of seal deaths - estimated at 250,000 - which occurred in 1994 due to unexpected variations in oceanic conditions, demonstrates the fact that Namibia's seat population had increased to the point where they exceeded by far the carrying capacity of the environment. It must surely be agreed, therefore, that it is more humane to curb the unrestrained seal population to a level where they can be sustained by the environment." (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Namibia, Press release No 52195 dated 22 September 1995-Namibia's seal harvesting policy.)