A cabinet directive to increase national quotas for harvesting fur seals in Namibia has been the proverbial match in the powder keg between those who support it and those who see it as an unnecessary and brutal massacre. Scientists, environmentalists, and animal rights groups point to the unsustainability and cruelty of the method of harvesting, as well as its social and ecological impact on seal populations and the marine ecosystem as a whole. The Namibian government, for its part, defends the practice by advocating for the control of seal populations in the face of declining fish stocks. As one of nine countries where the culling of seals is still practiced, Namibia is the only country in the Southern Hemisphere that allows this practice. The current quota for Namibia stands at 80 000 cubs and 6 000 bulls, which are at Cape Cross and Wolf/Atlas Bay. Bulls are usually shot, while the cubs are hit on the head with a wooden or metal stick. Two arguments from Parliament are at the heart of this discussion: Population control and economic value. Due to a current lack of a market for seal products, quotas are not met and the seal population is steadily increasing. This, according to the Namibian government, would have a devastating impact on fish stocks and threaten the sustainable use of fish resources. Even if 80,000 cubs were to be culled, there is no scientific evidence that this would have any impact on population numbers. Currently, mainly alpha bulls are harvested. Small compared to other bulls, alpha bulls are responsible for shaping harems and reproduction. Removing these bulls results in the younger bulls "intervening", which in turn leads to even more pups with weaker genetics. Thus, the consequences of a mass massacre are the exact opposite of the goal of controlling the very population. In addition, it is impossible to harvest the given number from two of the many breeding colonies in three different countries for the purpose of population control. The true impact would require the killing of hundreds of thousands of seals, which would drive a lot of money out of the government's pocket. While international concerns have led member states of the European Union (EU) and also others to ban the import of seal products from Namibia, the Asian market for genitalia of seal products is increasing. This leads to the second argument of economic value. At the moment, only genitalia are in demand. Still, the government wants to make full use of the profits by encouraging the consumption of seal meat and also the potential annual harvest. Even so, seal meat is of a poorer quality and therefore not very popular with consumers. Concerns raised by animal rights groups, scientists, and environmentalists are substantial, scientifically based, and strongly oppose the government's arguments. According to a study conducted in 2022, the diet of Cape fur seals consists mainly of Gobiidae (gobies) and lanternfish, two species that are not commercially targeted.