Honorable Officials Of Namibia:

I implore the Namibian government to stop its annual slaughter of nursing pups and bull seals. A global majority firmly oppose Namibia's massacre of seals, some so young their mother's milk gushes from knife wounds. Dying pups collapse in white puddles as seal cows grieve nearby.

These images disgrace the Republic of Namibia. As a potential tourist, I cannot consider Namibia as a destination until the culls are terminated. I will advise family, friends and colleagues to do the same.

The seal population has already endured massive depletion due to starvation. Though the present cull is scheduled to last until November 15, 2007, sealers rarely meet quotas because there are not enough seals left to kill.

Namibia's seal slaughter is the second largest in the world. Just before the 2006 cull, the Ministry of Fisheries described the seal population as still rebounding from a massive die-out, with numbers at 27% below healthy pre-1993 levels. Even as the 2006 cull progressed, as many as 900 seals were buried each day. A Ministry assessment revealed starvation as the cause of death and determined most pups could not survive past post-weaning age.

Yet Namibian authorities continue to up kill quotas. A "cull" supposedly functions as a means of population management. But Namibia is "managing" a population that has dwindled 50% over the last decade. This is environmentally reckless and grossly inhumane. The concept of "sustainable use" of the Cape Fur Seal is illogical.

Namibia stands to lose more in tourism revenue than it could ever gain from slashing and bludgeoning seals. Please heed worldwide opinion and end this ruthless slaughter now.