Community Rallies for Recover of the Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal as Latest Suspicious Death Occurs
Public Invited to Call Reward Tip Line at 1-855-DLNR-TIP
Reward total now at $40,000
HONOLULU (April 24, 2012) — The Department of Land and Natural Resources and NOAA Fisheries announced this week that a three-year old male monk seal was found dead Sunday on a northeast Kaua‘i beach. The death has been classified as “suspicious.” The DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement and NOAA Office of Law Enforcement are investigating the case. It is the latest in a number of suspicious monk seal deaths that began in November 2011 on Moloka`i.
Spurred on by the previous deaths, community groups have rallied in recent months to increase education about the plight of the Hawaiian monk seal, Hawai‘i’s official state marine mammal, and to help promote co-existence with this critical endangered species in Hawaiian waters. A coalition of nonprofit organizations, identified as the Aloha Kanaloa Coalition, recently developed a public service announcement to help promote their message of nonviolence and co-existence. “Traditional Hawaiian values taught us the importance of sharing and living together sustainability; we simply want people to remember and embrace our traditional values when it comes to how we treat and behave towards the monk seals,” explained Trisha Kehaulani Watson, a member of the Coalition.
DLNR supports this group’s efforts. “Monk seals are a vital part of Hawai‘i’s marine and cultural environment,” said William J. Aila, Jr., DLNR chairperson. “We must all come together to share the message that harm to seals is unacceptable and that humans and seals must learn to co-exist peacefully together. Only then can there be hope for the future of the monk seal, including a new pup just born this week on Kaua‘i. That message is featured in a new public service announcement now being aired on local television stations and online at http://www.alohakanaloacoalition.org/
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust announced continued support of the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement’s work to combat poaching and designated wildlife-related crimes by sponsoring a toll-free, confidential reward tip line, 1-855-DLNR-TIP.
The tip line allows individuals statewide to confidentially report information about poaching crimes to law enforcement.
The first case under the new reward program and tip line was announced in January and involved three monk seal deaths on Moloka‘i. A fourth monk seal was later found dead on Kaua‘i. Necropsies performed on three of the four seals confirmed the deaths were suspicious. These cases, along with the newest reported death on Kaua‘i, remain under investigation. Anyone with information about these cases is asked to call the confidential reward tip line.
The HSUS, Conservation Council for Hawai‘i and the Center for Biological Diversity have again posted a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the monk seal deaths. Earlier standing contributions from these groups, the Marine Conservation Institute and a generous anonymous local donor bring the reward total from $30,000 to $40,000, or $10,000 per confirmed incident.
“We thank the HSUS for their continued sponsorship of this program, which helps protect Hawaii’s precious wildlife,” said Randy Awo, DOCARE chief.
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Monk Seal Facts:
Hawaiian monk seals are one of the world’s most endangered animals, with population estimates less than 1,100. Hawaiian monk seals are endemic to Hawai‘i and therefore found nowhere else in the world.
In June 2010, the Legislature passed Act 165, specifically to increase penalties for taking (which is defined to include harassing or killing) a monk seal. It’s a Class C felony (up to 5 years imprisonment). Someone convicted under this law could face a maximum fine of $50,000. Monk seals are also protected under the federal Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it a crime to kill or harm a Hawaiian monk seal.
Media Contacts:
Deborah Ward, State of Hawaii DLNR 808-587-0320 Deborah.L.Ward@hawaii.gov
Trisha Kehaulani Watson, Aloha Kanaloa Coalition 808-392-1617 info@nameahulu.org
Stephanie Twining, Humane Society of the United States 301-258-1491 stwining@humanesociety.org
How Old Are Monk Seals?
The Hawaiian monk seal is over 10 million years old. While references to the monk seal in Hawaiian literature are rare, they do exist. Our kūpuna identified the seal by various names, including `Īlioholoikauaua and nā mea hulu, among others. There are kūpuna who have traditional knowledge about the monk seal and its presence in pre-contact Hawai`i.
Species Description
The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the rarest marine mammals in the world. Part of the “true seal” family, Phocidae, they are one of only two remaining monk seal species; the other is the Mediterranean monk seal. A third species, the Caribbean monk seal, is extinct. Isolated from their closest relative 3-11 million years ago, Hawaiian monk seals are considered a “living fossil” because they appear to be relatively unchanged from prehistoric times.
Finding Balance
Nā Mea Hulu is a project by Honua Consulting, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The goal is to find ways to protect the dwindling monk seal population without impacting the practices and livelihoods of Hawaiians and fisherman. We need your help. There are a range of activities related to the recovery of the Hawaiian monk seal population that can use the participation of the Hawaiian community including research efforts, public comment opportunities, working groups, volunteer projects and more!
As children of Kanaloa, Hawaiians need to discuss the role of the monk seal in modern Hawai`i. Every child of Hawai`i is important; the Hawaiian monk seal is no exception. The seals are on the verge of extinction and they need our help.
Monk Seal Facts
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PO Box 61395
Tel. 808 392 1617
E-mail: info@nameahulu.org