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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 1438.000 2006-2008BOB JACOBSON Councilmember Chair, Environmerrta! Management Committee Vice-Chair, Finance Committee HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL County of Hawai `i 333 Kilauea Avenue, Second Floor Ben Franklin Building, Milo, Hawaii 96720 Mailing Address: 25 Aupuni Street. Suite 200 Phone: (808)961-8263 Fax: (808) 961-8912 E-Mail: bjacobson!u?co.hawaii.hi.us ,"~ ~ MEMORANDUM ~ ~= ~~~' ~~ • Date: August 28, 2008 ~~ To: Pete Hoffmann, Chair ~ and Members of the Hawaii County Council -~ - .::, ,J, From: Bob Jacobson, Council Member District 6 Re: Request for an EMC agenda item Attached for your review is an item that was submitted for referral to the Environmental Management Committee. Please allow one hour for a presentation by Keiko Bonk on September 23, 2008. Thank you for your attention in this matter. BJ/bl Att. Comm. No. ' ~~ Ref. To: District 6 ~ Upper Puna, Ka `u, and South Kona Hawaii County Ls An Equal Opportunity Provider And E-nphyer Ref. UOte ~~ , . 9 ~G08. COUNTY COUNCIL Jay Furfaro, Chair Mel Rapozo, Vice Chair Tim Bynum Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho Daryl W. Kaneshiro Ronald Kouchi JoAnn A. Yukimura OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK Peter A. Nakamura, County Clerk Ernesto G. Pasioa, Deputy County Clerk Telephone (808)241-6371 Fax (808)241-6349 Email cokcouncil(trlkauai.~ov Council Services Division 4396 Rice Street, Room 206 Lihu`e, Kauai, Hawaii 96766-1371 August 18, 2008 ~"~ ox o ~ The Honorable Jay Furfaro = , ~l Council Chair, and Councilmembers ~ P :-r. -<~ c f Kauai County Council _ - . -. - oN ' ~ 1 4396 Rice Street, Suite 206 -" - LYhu`e, HI 96766 e. ~- ~ ~ ; ~~ ` ;; ui ' -.. Dear Chair Furfaro and Members: Attached for your consideration is a Resolution to Support the Recovery of the Hawaiian State Mammal, the Critically Endangered Endemic Hawaiian Monk Seal. This measure urges the federal and state government agencies to adequately fund the Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Plan and necessary staffing. The Resolution further requests that the four (4) counties of Hawaii partner with the appropriate federal and state agencies to develop public awareness of the Hawaiian Monk Seal and to develop a program for regulating human-seal interactions at State/County beaches and parks frequented by the monk seals. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, ANN A. YUKI RA ouncilmember MEL RAPOZO Vice Chair ca Att. n ,p cc: August 27, 2008 Council Meeting Agenda (~ ~~O'l~~ AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 1. Y .. ~awaiian Mon~C Sea T~te Most ~ndan~ered ~,ndemic Marine Mammal in tote u Ilio-holo-ikauaua (ee-lee-o polo ee ka ooa-ooa) meaning `the dog that The endemic Hawaiia thrived for the past r3 cts ed States n rough waters' monk seal has ullion years, virtually unchanged, i ~ the oceanic waters and coral reefs and atolls of the Hawaiian Islands. They have been around much longer than even some of the islands themselves, the Big Island of Hawaii being less than i million years o1d..Hawaiian monk seals are only found in the Hawaiian Islands, and are a very important piece and cultural history. tropical seal in the w marine mammal four US waters. . Today, the Hawaiian monk seal is critically endangered and headed toward extinction. Hawaiian monk seals are f QU I GK ~a Ct5 the most endangered mammal in Hawaii, the most endangered marine mammal that occurs solely within Scientific Name: Monac the United States, and one of the most endangered mammals in the world. Hawaiian name• Ilio-ho Status: Critically endang Cuter the past 5o years, the Hawaiian monk seal population has fallen more than 60°~. Population: Less than rz •Fewer than rzoo Hawaiian monk seals remain in the Class: Mammals - Pinnip wild. Compared to other endangered species, there are Range: Hawaiian Islands fewer Hawaiian monk seals in the wild than there are Size: Up to ~fr and 40o F giant pandas. Tragically, the Hawaiian monk seal is perhaps the last hope for monk seals on the planet, as Lifespan: z5-3o years the Caribbean monk seal went extinct in the i95o's and Diet: Fish and invertebra there are only a few hundred Mediterranean monk seals lefr in the wild. Marine Conservation Biology Institute MCBI Washington • California • DC • Hawaii • www.mc6i.org Hawaii s natural tey are the only d, and the only. entirely within schauinslandi M C'~o~ ~ ~awaiian Mon~C Sea ~a~itat ~jocia~ ~e~avior Wherc They Live Most Hawaiian monk seals can be found around the Northwest Hawaiian Islands in the Papahanaumoku5kea Marine National Monument, but seals are also found on the main Hawaiian Islands. The population in the NWHI is falling rapidly due factors including decades of overfishing, habitat loss, predation, and entanglement in marine debris. In contrast to the rapidly declining monk seal populations in the NWH[, the few seals on the main islands are doing well. A small, but growing number, perhaps roo-r5o, now live in the main Hawaiian Islands. How They Behave Monk seals get their name both from the soft folds of fur around their neck that resemble a monk's cowl and for being solitary creatures, like monks. They are unusual for seals in that they do not live in large groups: Monk seals generally stay well away from other seals and humans, and can become aggressive when they get too close or feel threatened. Monk seals, especially pregnant or nursing mothers, appear to be greatly agitated when they are disturbed by humans, so much so that they may abandon their pups. So if you see a Hawaiian monk seal, remember to keep your distance. how They Feed Hawaiian monk seals spend the vast majority of their lives at sea, but do come to shore to give birth, molt, and to find shelter in large storms. They feed on the coral reefs and sandy bottoms of the waters surrounding the Hawaiian islands. Hawaiian monk seals eat fish and invertebrates, including reef fish, flatfish, eels, octopus, and lobsters. Monk seals dive deep for their food, often to depths of z5o-3ooft, and sometimes deeper than 5ooft, and dives can last for up to zo minutes. They mature at 5-to years of age and can live for z5-3o years, although many new seal pups fail to reach adulthood. New pups are dying quickly and there are few healthy juvenile seals ready to take the place of the aging breeding adults. how They Nurture Monk seal mothers invest a great deal in their young, coming ashore to give birth and nurse. They will remain with their young constantly for the first 5-6 weeks of their life and may lose hundreds of pounds. The process of rearing a pup is very challenging, and most females are not able to reproduce every year. Rearing a pup becomes even harder when less food and resources are available to the seals, as is the case today. Save ~ur Seals Marine Conservation Biology Institute -Hawaii Keiko Bonk • viii i4`h Ave. Honolulu HI g68i6 • (8oB) 938-6888 ~~o~ ~~ ~he Dec~ine ~ Recovery o~ t r .. ~awaiian Monk Sea Tate Most ~ndan~ered ~ndemic Marine Mammal in tie uni Hawaiian monk seals are the most endangered endemic marine mammal in the USA, and one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world. Over the last 5o years, the Hawaiian monk seal population has declined by more than 60% and is now at its lowest level in recorded history , less than i,aoo individuals. Since 199$ the total number of Hawaiian monk seals declined at an average annual rate of 4.i%. At this current rate of decline, the population size will slip below i,ooo animals in the next few years. This is a pivotal point, from which they may not recover. With public support and effective state management, we will be able to turn this situation around. ~soo uo° A~ 0 ~ ~ ~~ 6 g' ~o °a $ ixo° m~ i +~oo uM n. . iooo •oo ~soe aoo° zoox Year e States zoos Decline in estimated abundance of Hawaiian monk seals at the six main NWHI colonies since X998• These ~uman and environmental factors ~ave contributed to the • Overfishing • Habitat loss • Shark predation • Entanglement • Human disturbance • Food availability • Harassment by male seals • Deaths of pups • Aging population • Harmful algal blooms • Climate change Marine Conservation Biology Institute MCBI Washington California DC Nawaii www.mc6i.org G~ yDD8-3-CS' M Steps towards Sea Recovery j--Hawaiian Monk Seal Protection Hawaiian monk seals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which listed the Hawaiian monk seal as endangered in t9~6. For more information on the ESA visit: www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/laws/esa. These acts aim a to protect the species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. Harming, harassing, taking, or killing animals protected by these laws is strictly prohibited, and offenders can be fined as much as g5o,oo0. These laws also demand that governmental agencies do what they can do help these species recover and prevent them from going extinct. Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery A monk seal recovery team was established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1983 to coordinate research and management activities for the seal's recovery. The Hawaiian monk seal recovery team (HMSRT) released a new recovery plan in August, zoos. The recovery plan can be found at: www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/ recovery%hawaiianmonksealpdf. The recovery plan identifies actions that collectively could stabilize and eventually recover the species, including: • Improving female survival • Reducing shark predation • Captive care for injured or malnourished seals • Removal of hazardous debris It's essential to move forward with Hawaiian monk seal recovery now. Every year we wait brings the Hawaiian monk seals closer to extinction. Survival rates of monk seal pups have dropped from 80-90% in the r97os to lower than r5% today. As the older breeding females begin to pass away, there are fewer younger animals maturing, which could lead to a catastrophic collapse of the entire population. Unless major actions are taken toward recovery in the next 5 or ro years, the population of Hawaiian monk seals will continue to decline. Hawaiian monk seals need our help now. With adequate public and private _ _. support and effective state and federal management we will be able turn this situation around. Save ~ur Seals Marine Conservation Biology Institute -Hawaii Keiko Bonk • uu i4`h Ave. Honolulu HI 96Bi6 • (Bo8) qg8-6888 c~d8-~ • ~ow Can `~' {`~e~p t~e ~awaiian Mon Sea{? T~te Most ~ndan~ered ~ndemic Manne Mammal in t~e (~nited States Inform -Involve -Inspire -Invest n~onn Read the information enclosed in this package. nvo~ve Contact your local elected officials and congressional delegation on the contact sheet provided. Inform your representatives of the Hawaiian monk seal's plight and the urgent need for ACTION: • Support the seal recovery programs in the Hawaiian islands . • Adequate funding for recovery programs • Adequate monitoring and enforcement • Outreach and education efforts InSP~I e • .Inspire others to join the campaign to help the monk seal • Participate in the letter writing campaign • Participate in education and outreach activities • Raise funds for seal coordinators and volunteer programs • Become a volunteer ~nvest Protecting the Hawaiian monk seal is an investment in the future of Hawau's envirom is needed to build the programs needed for recovery of this endangered species. Adeq needed to develop the teams and programs that will save this species from extinction. • ~ Marine Conservation Biology Institute MCBI Washington • California • DC • Hawaii • www.mc6i.org .Yoursupport funds are M ~ow Can ~ ~e~P? A Ca~~ to Action ~/o~unteer with tie Annual hawaiian Monk Seal Count Once a year, in April, NOAA is looks for people to help them count monk seals on the main Hawaiian Islands. The goal is to have volunteers and counting monk seals on each of the main Hawaiian Islands t estimate how many monk seals live in the main Hawaiian Islands. Ifyou would like to participate in the annual Hawaiian monk seal count, contact David Schofield at: david.schofield@noaa.gov. ~/o~unteer with tie }zesPonse Team Help the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal by responding to seals that haul out to rest and protect them from disturbance, provide information to the public about the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, and monitor monk seal pupping events. To volunteer, contact your island Monk Seal Response coordinator: Qa~u Maui Kauai gji~v ~s~and ~Kona~ Bi~v ~s~anc~ ~Hi~o~ David Schofield Nicole Davis Mimi Olry Justin Viezbicke Melisa Netze (808) 944-zz6q (808) zqz-z3yz (So8) 6gi-668 Justin.P.Viezbicke(ghawaii.Bov (808) 7S6-gg6i ~f you see a Hawaiian monk sea... Should you encounter a Hawaiian monk seal, keep a clear distance, at least iooft (io car lengths). It is illegal to harass a Hawaiian monk seal, or any endangered species. Harming a monk seal is punishable by up to a SSo,ooo fine and/or up to a year in prison. If the monk seal appears to be distressed, report the sighting immediately to one of the following agencies: • National Marine Fisheries Service: (So8) z44-~5~z • State of Hawaii DNLR: (So8) z44-4352 • State of Hawaii DOCARE: (808) z43-5414 • Police: qn Save Dur Seals Marine Conservation Biology Institute -Hawaii Keiko Bonk • un i4`h Ave. Honolulu HI g68~6 • (So8) 938-6888 e ~Q~--~~ • • Contact ~mPortant Decision Contact Your NOAA Administrators: Vice Admiral Conrad C. LautenbacherJr, (,I•S Navy (Ret) National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator 14ot Constitution Ave, NW Washington, D.C. zoz3o (zoz)48z-3436 - Fx:(zoz)48z-3154 conrad.c.lautenbacher@noaa.gov ,~im Ba~siger, Pb~ Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 1305 East West Highway, Room 14636 Silver Spring, MD zogro (3or) 713-zz39 Fx: (3or) 713 -zz58 jim.balsinger@noaa.gov ~i~~ Robinson Pacific Islands Regional Administrator . National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) r6or ICapiolani Boulebard, Suite mo Honolulu, HI g68r4 ~ ' ,,, (808) 944-zzoo Fx: (So8) 973-x941 •~- ..,f "~'~ ' " ~", , Bill.Robinson@noaa.gov ,: image: )en Contact Your }zepresentatives in Congress: Senator Danic~ ~nouye Senator ~anie~ A~ca~ca 7zz Hart Senate Office Building rqr Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC zogro Washington, DC zogro (zoz) zz4-3934 fic:(zoz) zzq-6747 (zoz) zz4-636r fx:(zoz) zz4-zrz6 senator@inouyesenate.gov senator@akakasenate.gov Hawaii office: Ph (808) 541-z54z Hawaii office: Ph (808) 5zz-S97o Representative Neil Abercrombie Representative from the r" District (Honolulu) r5oz l.ongworth House Office Building Washington, DC zo5r5 (zoz) zz5-z7z6 fx:(zoz)zzg-4580 NeilAbercrombie@mail.house.gov Hawaii office: Ph (So8)541-z57o MCBI Representative Mrzne hiro Representative from the z"a district rzz9 longworth HOB Washington, DC zop5 (zoz) zz5-49o6 &: (zoz)zz5-498'7 Mazie.hirono@mail.house.gov Hawaii office: Ph (8o8)54t-1986 Marine Conservation Biology Institute Washington California DC Hawaii www.mchi.org e~~~~s- ~Ce rs NMFS M Contact ~mPortant Decision Ma~Cers Contact Your ~jovemor: Hawaii ~jovernor Linda Line Executive Chambers, State Capitol Honolulu, HI 968r3 (808) 586-0034 fx: (808) 586-0006 Governor.lingle@hawaii.gov Contact Your NM~S Monk jean }zesPonse Coordinator: Qa~u Maui Kauai David Schofield Nicole Davis Mimi Olry (808) 944-Za69 (808) aqa-z37z (808) 651-7668 David.Schofield@noaa.gov Mimi.Olry@hawaii.gov BiuP ~s~and (Kona BiuP ~s~and (Hiio~ Justin Viezbicke Melisa Netze Justin.P.Viezbicke@hawaii.gov (808) 756-596r Contact Marine Conservation gio~o~t ~nstitute in Hawaii: Kei~co Bonk -Hawaii Pro~vram Director uu i4`s Ave Honolulu HI 96816 (808) 938-6888 (cell) (808)734-4234 Keiko.bonk@mcbi.org Save ~ur Seals Marine Conservation Biology Institute -Hawaii Keiko Bonk • nii i4`h Ave. Honolulu HI g68i6 • (So8) 938-6888 c~o8.~ • Fiscal Year 2009 Presidential Budget Steller Sea Lion $7.2 Million Hawaiian Monk S $0.855 Million Survivor Federal Seal Priorities Total Federal Funding from 1998 to 2004 Steller Sea Lion 2 Z 3.5 Million vaiian Monk Sea E2.3 Milli c~6~-~~ RECOVERY PLAN FOR THE HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL (Monachus schauinslandi) REVISION 1500 1400 W y C d O c '' a 1300 ~ 3 c o- ~ o ~ 1200 'C fn ::- ~ ~ 1100 '+'. Z W ~ 1000 900 National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration August 2007 c~b~ ~ 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 Year RECOVERY PLAN FOR THE HAWAIIAN MONK (Monachus schauinsland:~ REVISION Original Version: Mazch 1983 Prepazed by National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Approved: William T. Hogarth, Ph.D. Assistant Administrator for Fisheries National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Date August 22, 2007 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is in crisis: the population is in a decline that has lasted 20 yeazs and only azound 1200 monk seals remain. Modeling predicts the species population will fall below 1000 animals in the next five yeazs. Like the extinct Caribbean monk seal and the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal, the Hawaiian monk seal is headed to extinction if urgent action is not taken. Implementation of this plan, adequate resources, and improved coordination and cooperation provide hope that the species decline can be reversed. For more than two decades, great effort has been made to manage, study, and recover the Hawaiian monk seal. However, actions to date have not been sufficient to result in a recovering population. The species status would undoubtedly have been worse but for these actions. Nonetheless, significant threats face this species: • Very low survival of juveniles and sub-adults due to starvation (believed to be principally related to food limitation) has persisted for many years across much of the population • Entanglement of seals in marine debris has and continues to result in significant levels of seal mortality • Predation of juvenile seals by Galapagos sharks has significantly increased • Human interactions in the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) including recreational fishery interactions, mother-pup disturbance on populaz beaches, and exposure to disease • Hawaiian monk seal haul-out and pupping beaches are being lost to erosion in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), and monk seal prey resources in the NWHI may have been reduced as a result of climate cycles and other factors • Potential disease outbreaks could have a devastating effect due to small population size and limited geographic range Due to low juvenile survival and an aging, breeding female population, there will not be sufficient replacement of breeding females, and birth rates subsequently will decline. This underscores the irony of past and current efforts to reduce these threats in that initial success may only slow a process of decline and even more actions will be required to reverse the decline and prevent the extinction of this species. Recovery of the Hawaiian monk seal depends upon a range of comprehensive actions detailed in this Recovery Plan, as well as the full participation and support of all federal, state and private stakeholders. These actions should be pursued aggressively to prevent the extinction of this species, and funding decisions should give highest priority to actions that will contribute directly to mitigating impacts and sources of mortality that reduce survival rates of Hawaiian monk seals, pazticularly females and juveniles. In order to preserve the future reproductive potential for recovery, one of the highest priorities being pursued by NMFS is the development of a captive caze program to nutritionally supplement juvenile female seals. The goal of the program will be to increase the survival of female seals during the critical juvenile life stages that aze now experiencing low survival. This will likely be a combined effort of NMFS and animal care organizations. A workshop on the development of a 10-year captive care plan was held in June 2007. Without such efforts, the loss of young females will significantly decrease the recovery potential of the species, as there will not be enough females in the population. C ~DD~,a~yl~ CURRENT SPECIES STATUS: The Hawaiian monk seal was listed as an endangered species pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) on November 23,1976 (41 FR 51611) and remains listed as endangered. The species has a recovery priority number of one, based on the high magnitude of threats, the high recovery potential, and the potential for economic conflicts while implementing recovery actions. Based on recent counts, the current population is approximately 1200 individuals. Since the publication of the last Recovery Plan for Hawaiian monk seals over two decades ago (Gihnaztin,1983), much has been done to reduce the impact of many of the most direct, and obvious, causes of decline. Nonetheless, the present total population of the species is small and declining. The population is already so small as to. be in the range where there is concern about long-term maintenance of genetic diversity. HABITAT REQUIREMENTS AND LIIvIITING FACTORS: The Hawaiian monk seal has the distinction of being the only endangered marine mammal whose entire species rarige - historical and current -lies within the United States (however the species has been sighted outside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone). The majority of the population of monk seals now lies in the NWHI with six main breeding sub-populations. The species is also found in lower numbers in MHI where the population size and range both appeaz to be expanding. The main terrestrial habitat requirements include: haul-out areas for pupping, nursing, molting, and resting. These aze primarily sandy beaches, but virtually all substrates aze used ati various islands. Monk seals also spend neazly two-thirds of their time in marine habitat. Monk seals aze primarily benthic foragers (Goodman-Lowe 1998 et al.), and will seazch for food in a broad depth range up to 500 m and over different substrates (Parrish et al., 2000, 2002, inl review). The food available in their marine habitat seems to be a limiting factor to population growth in the NWHI, with the greatest impact of food limitation being on the survival of juvenile and yeazling seals, age of sexual maturity, and fecundity. RECOVERY GOAL: The goal of this revised recovery plan is to assure the long-term viability of the Hawaiian monk seal in the wild, allowing initially for reclassification to threat ned status and, ultimately, removal from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. RECOVERY STRATEGY: While recommendations within this report aze many and detailed, there aze four key actions required to alter the trajectory of the Hawaiian monk seal population and to move the species towards recovery: 1. Improve the survivorship of females, particularly juveniles, in the NWHI. To do this requires the following: • maintaining and enhancing existing protection and and prey base; • targeting research to better understand the factors that result survival; • intervening where appropriate to ensure higher survival of jt adult females; • continuing actions to protect females from individual and m~ aggression and to prevent excessive shazk predation; and ations of of habitat oor juvenile ile and le male vi C/ ~~/ D~~ ~~ • continuing actions to remove marine debris and reduce mortality of seals due to entanglement. 2. Maintain the extensive field presence during the breeding season in the N1NHI. Field presence is critical not just to the monitoring and research efforts, but also to carry out the active management and conservation of Hawaiian monk seal sub- populations in these azeas. 3. Ensure the continued natural growth of the Hawaiian monk seal in the MHI by reducing threats including interactions with recreational fisheries, disturbance of mother-pup pairs, disturbance of hauled out seals, and exposure to human and domestic animal diseases. 'This should be accomplished with coordination of all federal, state, local and non-government parties, volunteer networks, and increased ouireach and education in order to develop a culture of co-existence between humans and seals in the MHI. 4. Reduce the probability of the introduction of infectious diseases into the Hawaiian monk seal population. RECOVERY CRITERIA: The population will be considered for a reclassification as "threatened" if all the following three conditions aze met: Downlisting Criteria: 1. aggregate numbers exceed 2,900 total individuals in the NWHI 2. at least 5 of the 6 main sub-population in the NWHI aze above 100 individuals and the MHI population is above 500 3. survivorship of females in each subpopulation in the NWHI and in the MHI is high enough that, in conjunction with the birth rates in each subpopulation, the calculated population growth rate for each subpopulation is not negative. Threats-based Criteria: Factor A. Present or Threatened Destruction, Modification, or Curtailment of Its Habitat or Range Criteria: Measures aze in place to manage human factors affecting food limitations, habitat loss and contaminants in the NWHIs. Management measures are also in place to a) m;*+;m;ze human disturbance of monk seals that haul-out on beaches in the MHI, and b) protect major monk seal haul-out habitat in the MHI. Factor B. Overutilization for Commercial, Recreational, Scientific, or Educational Purposes Criteria: 1. Procedures, including data collection and analyses, aze in place to evaluate and ensure that scientific reseazch on Hawaiian monk seals, including their vii C~~~, y(.~ observation, handling, and instrumentation, will not cause signific' t adverse impacts on monk seal survival, behavior, or population growth. 2. Procedures are in place to ensure that any proposed NWHI operations that may increase seal disturbance or threaten survival will be reviewed ands cazefully scrutinized, and that all applicable laws protecting monk seals and~their habitat have been used and enforced. 3. Management and permitting measures aze in place to ensure that people, including scientists and research teams, visiting the Midway Islands or any other atoll in NWHI do not disturb monk seals or restrict their haul-out liabitat in ways that could adversely affect monk seal survival, behavior, or population growth. Factor C. Disease or Predation Criteria: 1. Credible measures for min;m;~ing the probability of introduction of diseases to any of the NWHI subpopulations, or the spread of diseases from the MHI to the NINHI, or importation of diseases that are not yet present in Hawaii aze in place. 2. Contingency plans are in place to respond to a disease outbreak or should this occur. 3. Research measures aze in place to monitor population size, vital rates, and possible disease outbreaks or disease introductions, in all the subpopulations. 4. Management measures aze in place to m;,,;mirp shark predation and aze demonstrably effective at maintaining predation sources at low enough levels to be consistent with continued meeting of the birth rate and survivorship criterion. Factor D. Inadequacy of Existing Regulatory Mechanisms Criteria: Measures aze in place to manage fishery interactions and aze demonstrably effective at reducing these threats and maintaining fishery-related sources of mortality or stress at decreasing or low levels that are consistent with continued meeting of the birth rate and survivorship criterion. The principle, direct fishery interaction threat currently facing mon MHI recreational fisheries, pazticularly gillnets and shore~ast geaz, which a by the State of Hawaii and known to cause monk seal mortalities. Two mori drowned in recreational gillnets on Oahu within the past yeaz. Gillnets will in other azeas, and enforcement of the new regulations will be important to the threat is actually reduced. There is a continuing need for intervention fc monk seals in the MHI to remove embedded hooks from recreational fishing this effort does not remedy the interaction problem itself. More managemet and enforcement of those measures aze needed to ensure that this serious th reduced. Factor E. Other Natural or Manmade Factors Affecting Its Continued Criteria: seals aze a managed seals till be used vsure that Hawaiian however measures 'at is 1. Management measures aze in place to control male aggression, entanglement, biotoxins, and other sources of human-caused mortality or stress. These measures are demonstrably effective at maintaining these threats at slow enough viii C ~8~~ a-~ levels to be consistent with continued meeting of the birth rate and survivorship criterion. 2. The causes of the anthropogenic threats to the species are cleazly identified and are well-enough understood to be controlled or mitigated, and any newly identified threats are controlled adequately before downlisting. Delisting Criteria: The population will be considered for a delisting if the downlisting criteria continue to be met for 20 consecutive years without new crucial or serious threats being identified. ACTIONS NEEDED: The following 14 categories of actions aze necessary for the recovery of the Hawaiian monk seal: 1. Investigate and mitigate factors affecting food limitation 2. Prevent entanglements of monk seals 3. Reduce shazk predation on monk seals 4. Minunize the risk of exposure to or spread of infectious disease 5. Conserve Hawaiian monk seal habitat 6. Reduce Hawaiian monk seal interactions with fisheries 7. Reduce male aggressiori towazd pups/immature seals and adult females 8. Reduce the likelihood and impact of human interactions 9. Investigate and develop response to biotoxin impacts 10. Reduce impacts from compromised and grounded vessels 11. Reduce the impacts of contaminants 12. Continue population monitoring and research 13. Create and implement a main Hawaiian Islands Hawaiian Monk Seal Management Plan 14. Implement the Recovery Plan for the Hawaiian Monk Seal Estimated Cost of Five-Yeaz Recovery Efforts (in thousands): FY Ol FY 02 FY 03 FY 04 FY OS Subtotal Total Crucial Threats 1. Food limitation 1,920 1,900 1,900 1,900 1,900 9,520 2. Entan lement 1,260 1,260 1,260 1,260 1,260 6,300 3. Shark redation 300 300 300 300 300 1,500 Subtotal -Crucial Threats ~ 17,320 Serious Threats 4. Infectious diseases 605 585 585 585 585 2,945 5. Habitat loss 250 50 50 0 0 350 6.Fishe interaction 200 200 200 200 200 1,000 7. Male a ession• * * " 0 8. Human disturbance 800 800 800 800 800 4,000 Subtotal -Serious Threats 8,295 Moderate Threats 9. Biotoxins 250 125 125 75 75 650 10. Vessel oundin s 0 0 0 0 0 ~ 0 11. Contaminants 50 0 0 0 0 50 Subtotal -Moderate Threats ~ 700 * All included in other costs Essential Lon -term Recove Actions 12. Monitorin 6r Research 1,550 1,600 1,650 1,550 1,550 7,900 13. MHI Mana ement Plan 200 200 150 150 150 850 14. Itn lement Recove Plan 170 170 170 170 170 850 Subtotal -Essential Lon -term Recove Actions I 9,600 TOTAL ALLACTIONS.~. 7,555=~. -7,190 ~ 7,190`":6,990 ~,-6,990 ~;".35,915 ~ .35,915 ESTIMATED COST OF RECOVERY (FIRSTS FISCAL YEARS): $35,915,000 ANTICIPATED DATE OF RECOVERY: The time to recovery is not predictable with the current information, but the best case scenario (which is extremely improbable given recent trends) is that the population could grow to the stipulated total population size in the NWHI within 12 years, and the stipulated numbers in the MHI could be reached within 34 yeazs. Provided that the threats-based criteria have also been met, this would elevate the,population to a "threatened" classification. The population may be considered "recovered" if the downlisting criteria continue to be met for 20 consecutive years. Therefore, the total time to recovery is anticipated to be 54 years. The Total Estimated Cost of Recovery can be calculated Eby multiplying the estimated cost of FY 05 ($6,990) for the next 49 years. Then add that sum to the estimated cost for the fast five fiscal yeazs (in Table above). Realistically, the population is not expected to recover in the foreseeable future. In the future, if more is learned about the causes for the current continuing decline, it should be possible to make more informative,projections about the time to recovery, and its expense. TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF RECOVERY (54 YEARS): $378,425,000. x C ~D~ ~~ HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL RECOVERY TEAM 18 February 2008 t.toya loony. a.b Sam Pooley, Dtredor, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center UnMnty olAlt.b, Fatrernb gib Robinson, Director, Padflc Islands Regional Office ""'"'•Ax' National Marine Fisheries Service xatM HawUrn Wpran wrMaa Doa Bowan HondUlU, HI UnMmO tetltob orOrauoyaylry transmitted by e-mail P•W DaltaU wanbm PadOO xglonal FYMrI~ runap.maM CaancU Dear Sem and Bid: Urtua Faust Paotaoblane FbhoAw 6nsaP The Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Team was deeply concerned to UUI 611mwtln teem et its 5-7 February 2008 meetlng in Honolulu that there may be e x.wri wtta116 Fad substantlel reduction in the duretk)n end staffng of monk seal field witatir~ ~ ~~ sir camps in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) for this coming fiekl season. Due Goodm~ Youbna Stab Unband~r Frans GWtaue The field camps operated by Ure Natbnal Marine Fisheries Service Gworala Ydao toed C.rbr (NMFS) in the NWHI far the pest 25 years ere en essentlal part Of x•"•~"•~^°° efforts to monttor end recover the sedan eyed Hawaiian monk seal. x.vy Rglon xriwa~ 9 Uaa surttr Those camps ere important for the following reasons. untawaly a/ rtnn.ab 6atM0 • Demographic data cdleded ere essential far understanding sa.wi wNr current population status, projeCtlng future population us. Fre .ne wttnx. swak. trejedodes, and evaluating the effedNeness Of actlons to 's°tmt~ a olMx recover this species. Wdhaut these date the recovery program Autnnt wltMtm would essentiely be operating in the dark. U.S. xatlmN Ooau S~vtn ObSerVBfions made • try people at the camps have identlfled factors Iirrdting populaton growth, such es mobbing by edutt males, shark predation, and other unusuei mortality events. Those observetlans have led to the development of interventlon programs that have prwkled the backbone of recovery efforts. • Monk seal field teems regularly perform critical management interventlons that may directly prevent the deaths of seals, for example disentangling seals, cdleding marine debris, and Intervening in cases of male aggression and pup abandonment. Because of the combined value of these actions the Hawaiian Monk Seel Recovery Team has consistently supported a strong field presence in the NWHI. The NWHI field camps end the populatlon assessment program were identified as being of highest priority in the revised 2007 Recovery Plan for the Heweiien•Monk Seal approved by NMFS. At Its meetlng the Recovery Team was presented a downsizing plan C~~~-2~~ for the field program in the NWHI end was tdd that the Pecifle Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) wip be conducting en analysis of alternatives for restrududng the population assessment progrem in future years. The Team was pleased to hear that such en analysis would be done-clearly it is wise to use whet has been teamed to evaluate the assessment progrem end to make changes where appropriate. However, we have two major ~concems. First, if the 2008 field camps are manned as currently planned there will be a degradation in the quality of the demographic data et a tlme when major recovery edbns need to be taken guided by complete'and reliable information about the populatlon. Second, aside from the demographic date, the dher benefits described above (identifying problems and taking adbns; to save seals) accrue in direct proportion to Ne time monk seal staff spend in the NWHI. lt is not unroalistic to expect that reduced field effort in the NWHI in 2008 end future years will result in the deaths of some monk seals that might dherwise have been saved. As the Team understands the situetbn, funding available to the PIFSC far monk seal work was moderately reduced in the omnibus spending bill far FY08 as compared to rccent~ fiscal years. As a result, PIFSC staff have had to make difficult dedsions on how best to use evailabb funds to continue the monk seal fxkl camp progrem while also eddrossing other prossirig research needs that could help recover this spades. We understand that both PIFSC end the Pacific Islands Regional Office ero receiving much less funding then Is needed to undertake even the top prianly rosearch and recovery efforts. We fear that the Hawaiian monk seal species may nd survive unless It rocelves the atlentbn and funding support that lt needs end deserves. The crisis described in the attached letter that the Recovery Team. sent to NMFS last year has nd abated, and in some respects has worsened. The trial populatbn continues to decine at a rete that is now alarming, consklering is current smell size. The Recovery Team therofare urges NMFS to do all that lt can to ensure that fa 2008 there is the normal level of flekl effort et monk seal camps fn the NWHI. We ero nd suggestlng that funds be roprogremmed from other high priority monk seal rocovery efforts to tund the field camps. The pd of money available to recovery monk seals is simpy too smell-it must be made larger. Sincerely, o~r7o~ Lloyd F. Lowry, Chair on behalf of the Cc: HMSRT members Tim Ragan, MMC Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Team HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL RECOVERY TEAM Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr. Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA AdminisVator U.S. Department of Commerce 14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 30230 transmitted via e-mail 24 April 2008 "°'ndLow"''"'"' UnNnsq d AMSh, RhW'iu Dear Admiral Lautenbacher. Wean :~rnwp.,.M,n.. As I'm sure you are aware, the National Marine Fisheries Service p,,, ~„ (NMFS) has recently released a revised Recovery Plan for the e.aro,an.aeaotocronopnpa Hawaiian Monk Seal. The plan reviews the status of the monk seals wrana and factors that may be affecting that status, and lays out an action w ~';,,;~,~ R'"'"° plan for recovering the spedes. The simple but tragic fad is that the Bran F~ Hawaiian monk seal, the ony endangered marine mammal that occurs rKak Krnd fl.n.n.a omit' solely within the jurisdiction of the United States, is on a path to euom.~ extinction. The U.S. govemment should be doing all that it can to "'"'""'"d1MiFipid prevent this from happening, but it is not. I'm writing as Chairman of w~ ~o~ the Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Team to ask that you help to remedy this situation. o.n oomn.n Yaroro aew uma:q F~nw ~~ The Recovery Plan identifies more than 100 adions that should b airpn~. r.ero wiro.~ e.a.r e taken as part of the recovery program for monk seals. The cost for the p.~, H,,,.,a, first year to carry out the 54 priority 1 adions-those that "must be ""'~""a'"n "^~ taken to prevent extinction or to prevent the spedes from dedinin ~~ artind u g irreversiby'-is estimated at about $8.8 million. At our February 2008 ~~ o meeting the Recovery Team waa told that for fiscal year 2008 the °i"'""'"A' u.a. rxn.na Nnmr. eodc. NMFS Padfic Islands Fisheries Silence Center would have about $2 ~ million to spend on monk seal research, and that the Padfic Islands a e.e.aBU~rt Regional Office (PIRG) had $0 allocated for monk seal management A.w,rw~ . How can this beg u.a. wnanx ocan a.~.w The Hawaiian monk seal recovery program has been chronically underfunded. For example, a recent Report to Congress from the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission (The Biological vabilify of the Most Endangered Marine Mammals and the Cost-effectiveness of Protection Programs) shows that during FY1996 through FY2004 the federal govemment allocated only $12.3 million for monk seal recovery but it spent more than $223 million on Steller sea lions. This misdistribution is even more incredible when one considers that monk seals number only about 1,000 and are dedining rapidly while sea lions number more than 80,000 and are increasing in some areas and stable in others. Substantially more resources need to be devoted to monk seal recovery, in fad it is hard to imagine any reason why the actions identified in the Recovery Plan are not being fuly funded. ~~vB~ ~~ Of all the high priority actions identified in the Plan that should be undertaken, of particular importance at this time. Item 14.1 in the plan is to "Hire a Hawaiian M Recovery Coordinator for NMFS PIRG to ensure the timely and efficient implem% revised recovery plan and coordination among PIRG, PIFSC, and other agenaei governmental organizations.' As mentioned earlier, PIRO has no funding to sup position, and they are currenty trying to do what they can to coordinate monk se efforts by diveriing staff from other responsibilities. This is causing problems. N difficult for PIRO staff to keep up with the day-to-day need to deal with managen seals hooked by fishermen or pups being born on popular beaches, but them is i attention being given to the additional actions that will be needed to foster populr in the futuro. A good example of the latter is item 13 in the Plan, 'Create a main Islands Hawaiian Monk Seal Management Plan.° Because this is a critical and ti need the Recovery Team has created a subcommittee to work with PIRG to dew However, it will be impossible to accomplish this task in a limey manner without Coordinator on staff at PIRG. The Recovery Team therefore asks that you make available to PIRO so that a Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Coordinator can be hi possible. Too often efforts ny the United States to avoid conservation crises are hindered jurisdictions and the politics of other nations. In the case of Hawaiian monk sea responsibility to take action to protect and recover them lies solely within our na1 essential that the federal government do all that it can, now, to ensuro that Hann do sot go extinct on our watch. Sincerey, o~r? LIoyI F. Lowry, on behalf of the Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Team HMSRT members Senator Daniel Inouye Senator Daniel Akaka Representative Neil Abercrombie Representative Mazie Horono Bill Robinson, NMFS PIRO Tim Ragan, MMC ~ is of ik Seal station of the and non- ort this I recovery t ony is it mt issues like recovery lop the plan. i Recovery funds ed as soon as multinational the ~. It is m monk seals 2 C~o~ ~ ~ April 29, 2008 Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr. Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator U.S. Department of Commerce 14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 30230 Dear Vice Admiral Lautenbacher: We are deeply concerned about NOAA's failure to adequately fund the Hawaiian monk seal recovery plan. The seat recovery budget has been barely getting by for years under NOAA management. It is time for a change of attitude and approach if NOAA intends to give the seal a fighting chance, and meet the Secretary of Commerce's mandated obligations. The approximately $2.1 million provided in the 2008 budget for base science and management activities is about level with, or a slight decline from the FY 2007 amount. Meanwhile, the recovery plan team has documented needs totaling $7. million annually for the next 5 - 10 years, an amount certainly within the Department of Commerce's budget capability. In our view, the recovery plan must be robustly implemented to stabilize and recover the most iconic animal of the Papahl[naumokutikea Marine National Monument, and the last tropical seal with a chance of survival on earth. If NOAA officials.disagree with major elements of the recovery plan, we would like these to be disclosed for public debate. We recommend that the 2010 budget for the seal be at least $4.1 million, and that in subsequent years the budget rise to the full $7 million called for by the expert recovery team. Further delay by NOAA is consigning the seal to extinction. Please don't let that happen. Thank you for wnsidering our views. Respectfully yours, Concerned Citizens for Hawaiian Monk Seals (signatures attached) Cc: Senator Inouye, United States Senate Senator Akaka, United States Senate ' Representative Abercrombie, United States House of Representatives Representative Hirono, United States House of Representatives Governor Linda Lingle Senator Hanabusa, Hawaii State Legislature Representative Say, Hawaii State Legislature Tim Balsiger, Acting Adminitrator, National Marine Fisheries Service (i~UO~ ~~ 2 Apri129; 2008 . Letter to: vce Admiral Conrad C. Lauteabacber, Jr. From: Concerned Citizens far Hawaiian Monk Seals Name 2. 1!e 3. 4. 5. '~ e ~ 6. 7. 8. Organization Contact Information t1~k4fkoc~~.wgDil,/Y~'. ~.Oi 'lit.cTi ~a-Z~,f..t,e ~(~t~¢.u-e~c.r.',. ~~-u-Oca~~.., -10. r~ n rz_~ c ~ L. . ~~ t- '//'dr~~iordaiioy'fp ~ . 4F r a/~ ~k~rr+rcr~,4. a ~~>~QOL .,cam • v 9. au+- 10 ~~C' CoY~SPJ- (! ~ C C oY~sarVal7 w, ~e_L..~. oi-ti 11. ~ T ~ 13. NIc~I rc ~ k ~o fiv 14. Qt ~~'G. ~,~.! I n {wear Sv- elk, f3ek ,mss. u. G ors 16. o(•csr-~ tldeJC 1. ls. 19. 20. .. PL°'h 1 r~4.1. Covh ou.y, ci/ 7~ I ~, ~~ .~- o~ ~.~avo ~GoM oe...e.....'a7 °'~Y . ~~ ~~ ~ K+ wr. SS C.IC•~ YObcr ~J a73+~ !1(f~'/3/ ~ ~le~~w - ~~ ~ --- I U4I1~h~B~ e,1n2.b~', 4 ~~/ ~. ~ a6.a~ j ~ r HAWAIIAN MLfNK SEAL RECOVERY TEAM -~•- ~` ' "~ i+ ~. TY. ':~' Dr.. L4'i8iam flogarth Director, hatio'nal':~larirre F~lreries Serszce 1315 East Vest Highway Silver Spring, hfD 20910 e: vrelham.hagartlsu'•noaa_gov a., ~. ~c..s.,,i, qe~,.~r March 36.2x07 wu.FCa.,....u,.a„b, Dear Dr.Flogattl>, 16. YRYwM AW "^~"",.....r. a 1~'e ark u-riting in .support of Dr. Tim lfagen's le#fet to you of l~ hiaxch ~~.~.:•. 2007 drautitg atteatian to the crisis is the Hawaiian monk szal population. ~.~~~ ~"`""'"""""""""'~'"1i°°"` Thk Hawaiian bionic 5~es1 ltecovay Team cosrcuri with the hiariru• ~..~ hLvunml Comnrissioa's sssessmeu2 of the problems facing the monk «.rao.a.r,q,w.•.y :eat, aad our efforts ores the Iasi Erna years., urorking with NOAr1. +.s.e.....,.n. 'Vh-iFS to mica the ltecaverq Plan for this :species r+ettect this concaa x..,+tiwu.+4. «. ew.. The .Recovery Plan provides laag-irrm guidaack (or recover}, flf the ~u~crwau .. species, but the Team bdieeet there ors saLx critical isxt~s needing ~K imnu~ate attention The coatiuuittg decline is the ew~w aws f.raucer p~slation~ Staatrt4 in .w~~>e+~,rw. the tiotihwkstem Hawaiian Istands ptkcipitated a spkcisi Tkam meeting n. a» re..M 1301 June to anaivze the Situation and begin drafting a concise statement .+~~. of tin probkmi faring the species and antline a pates for rsecessazy action. Vt~'orir oa that statement co~imted titrattgh ~ nrgtr;ar' annna! "mow "~ axetmg of the Recot*ery Teaut w, r..rw ouw,e w~c.. ~....~ a.r w. e....w r.-..u ~L'e are rel+w;ing tlu dOttru~ettt noW to ~enxnt the needy a+es'iSed ,~~, ~ ~`~ Reco~Yry Plan. 'k hopt to a ork tirith the - , 5, the hiariue ?viaun~l ~ ;Nrwde.x Coarmis the Siate of Haroraii and its rkpresmtatises, and al! other a•". "~ '"• ~ ini~ested pasties and asenues m level and ~+.dwww possible. oP thesapLsns as sacs ac ~mplemastatian of effsctire sn~ategies ~ reti:rse the decline of'he':iasvaiian monk sea! mast be at: wgerrt pnorzc Sincerei3•, . • t~ e! ~~ ~~ 7oslata.R. Csiasberg,?h. D_ C`fairnsaa wad un txhail' of theriawaiian 4iosik 5eai R.krockry• Team 3 ~ ~O'~.~ Circle ~ Hooks: A Local Tradition . . ;, Most shoreline fishermen in Hawaii. were brought.up using ~~ G,~~le 1-itiok for all k1ndS of shoreline fshing. This hook's nt design i~ls"~ftfir and it. lends itse~' to hooking the fish iii them Up areas tha ,~ ; , ~, ,~ ~ t accessible. for rerrioval:: The design wi hpoiC point h~ k ,, se~rin~var[i.;: at'a. 9© degree angle towards the ho~~ ~, _ had ggod hcY F , ev+~rl „ . without any barb, Many of the c~~' 1#oles used' in rnati ~ . ~. ~r,~z; , Latin r~merican, and other fsh pour~~ies shoal use of t `. ~(~it~ad~ a ~U~4 ~ ~ M1 p A -~ ~ ~ ~ ~n this "new a e of fi ~,~ ~re "catch end rel ' S '~ ~~~ `` ~" S. , . ~ , each x ~$ r(iu =~' environmentauy re ilk, there is st~l a pl~ce~~ir,th~~ Ql°,=~ ~ ` t~ ` ' equapy respons '~ ~t~il and. keep" li~cal 8tylt fisiiin~' ~iraG ~;"'Vi'i ~ .i~ n nothing wXOnt ping only what 'you ni t~~,_ y; ~~~.,.~. ` <~ :.... ,,. ~,w ~.: regulations;. ,',.' ade 1.o keep all of us happily fis ~; - ,Z,~< ; ; to be rngr cfi.tetive= ' ~` ~ ~' i Yn rel y fish noi' destined fof the dinner t~ r' ~. ~~ ~ Est; 1~~:'~ ~ ~„ . ~ ~~- > „„ °' r + ~ try'and hem back. into the water as quickly as pp;i~~ ;~1 5 ~ ~r ~~ 4 a ~_;;~ circle h helps this effort by making a sometime, d~ ~~ ~ Y~~ 4 easier f ~ oth the fisherman and the:fish -Art additi(~n~ ''?tire ' tishe j is accidentally hooked It will'. also.. slide oui' t5f t~t~°; • -~ ~ Y easilji ~ 'does the fish. Remember that the.fisherri'tan ~b '~"~~ to. th~ d r for medical reasons but not the fish: ~~ '"~'~~` '` ry { ,; ,. i~n(~fQ. ~.c ~w+~~.~~-` This i;n~. _=age of fis has. also found the shoreiin fiShei~Yf,r •' ~qr~ .. respor~s~. ~ es in dealing with other local inhabit$rtts that. stta~" ,: ` Ches. As fishtrn~ , :. all we want to do is to go fishing without bgthe ate or. anythin` ~ :~ . etimes accidents happen and there is an int~ra+~-fi turtle or ~ seal. We may not be able to prevent all of .tne~e- ~', r one but we c~n'~ try to make the interaction less injurious to thb ~ ." • f monk seal by thir~:~~~f them as we would ourselves . [Jsing bari~iet~' ~ ` fiooks while slide ba~tin~~for ulua or shorecastirtg can decrease the se: ~ of injury by allowing the al a better chance of quickly ridding itself " t ht.~ok without any help~~=; ' : _, ~. ,,.. f~emember that everyone and everything that uses the oc •~ Hawaii can share the resource if we all db our part. Please Fish Re,~Se ly and leave roar fishing spot cleaner. than when. you arrived. yQtfi`~i `needed to start i new "Local Tradition." `° ~ ' ~ .~'~ • ~..,:: Thank you for caring. ~~a8-~ A10 Edit r' o Isis MONDAY ~ APRIL 2$ 2008 Saving. the monk seal requires broad effort Consider a world without group, has lobbied the Natioa- the Hawaiian monk seal ai Oceanic anti Atmospheric Bight sow, there are fewer pdtttinlstration to double dean 1,200 seals remaining do- Cundiog, to s4.1 milBon, for spite 20 yeah of effort to save monk seal research and pro- them. `Like the eadnct tectioa. In addition, the Legis- Caribbeaamonk seal and the lature u consideiIng mole critically endangered Medlt~" state funding to'piotect seals: ranean monk seal, the Hawn- Il`vhrg in the math Hawaiisit Is- iaamonk seal fr headed to ei- lands, And while the amount tinctioa if urgent action is not of funding can be debated, sd- take4" the Natloaal Marine Fisheries Service warned Ina eace supports spending more. Researchers need ro Im- studylast August prove their techniques for io- Urgem action la certainly creasing the survival ratC of needed. Bnt the problem is juvenile seals, who starve or complea, and the cost of firing are kllled by sliarke before It is certain to be toady. reaching reproducEive age. Hawaiian monk seat face a As the monk seal population host of threats that defy easy declines in Its primary habitat, answers: competition for food; the Northwestern islands, it's loss of 6aulrout and pupping actually inaeasiug in the main beaches in the eroding Narth- Hawaiian islands, In 2001, 56 western Hawaiian Islands; individuals were counted; in predation by sharks; and inter- 2007, that number rox to tlg. action with humans. The animals appear healthier A workshop this week in and Inclined to stay, which Honolulu, organized by the means co-e>istiag with recre- Mariae Conservation Biology ational Rahermea, beachgcera Institute, will bring together and exposure to disease. eaperta from state and federal It's clear drat saving the eo- agencies to address these is- dangered seal will require a sues and push for solutions. strong coordinated effort from One of those solutions is policymakers and the public more money. The institute, a alike. It's time ro act before it's non-governmental advocacy too Isla Pdtroria4 represent the optnton of the newspaper, whore Editorial Board ronsistr of Dtck Adair, StephenJ. Downes, Anne Harpham, ' Jeanne Mariam 9eldirSq, Mark Platte, Ytdd YwM and Lee P. Webber. Il1C lIDll~ l1iiYCtWDtT PnabWhrdAJr;1e% C~oe~-~~ HONOLULU STAR•BULLBTIN /THURSDAY, WAY 1, 1008 Group seeks seal-recovery';funds fay Rwemarl~ Bernardo ibernerdo®stei6u0etln.oam Funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad- ministratlon'a recovery plan for the endangered Hawallap monk seal population falls short, critla charge The Marine Cowervatlon BF ology Irotltute It leading a nk- tlonal campaign to urge congressional lawmakers as well as the U.S. Department of Commerce to allocate mores Hawall Program Direetdr Kelko Bonk sold the Irotltute b focusing now on Hawall~to build a collective, unanimow effort to support the campaign to protect what b described as the "moat endangered mammal In America.' For tbcal year 2008, only 32.2' million wss appropriated for the National MarlBe Fisheries 3ervlce's Paclfle Islands' RE- glon monk seal recovery plan. The same amount Is e:peMed to be appropriated In fiscal year 2009, according to Mika Toaatto, deputy regional ad" minlstrator. BIB Chandler, vice president of govetnmmt agalrs for the 1o- statute, based In Washington, D.C., plaro to lead a coalition to Washington to urge an Increase DRAWING ATiH~I110N POR MONK SEAIa The Marine Comer vatlon Biology huit4 lute b leading a campaign to advocate for more funding to support the National Oceanc and Atmo spheric Adminlstra-~ tlon's recovery plan for the endangered. Hawaiian monk seal populatlon. _ . The recovery plan, which took eHeM In Augwt, called for an estimated 135.9 million over a Hve-year span, but only 321 million of a 340 million budget for the Natlonal Marine Flsherles PacNc Islands Region was appropriated for the ro- covery plm. MCBI plena to lead a coalltlon of supporters to Washington, D.C., to Increase fundlag to 37 million a year. For more Wormatlon on endangered Hawallan monk scab and how the public can help, go to www.mcbl.org/what/motdLSeab.hlmL In funding to an estimated 37 mBUon a year. The plan, which took effect In August, calls for research and management Nat includes capture and care of ~uventle fe- males, study of the popula- tion's food supply, marine debris removal from the Papa- hanaumokuakea Marine Na- tional Monument, a facility to care for wounded and aban- Boned seals, and support far ongoing education programs In Hawall. The Hawallan monk seal, found only In Hawall, was listed as as endangered apecln In 1976. Lance Morgan, Institute vice president for science, Bald last year marked a 20-year decline In population. Factors Include shark preda- lion, entanglement, overfishang and climate change, but a: perta suspect other, unknowq tailors are at work. The current monk seal pogo- latloti Is estimated at 1,100:' Ninety percent of them Ilve In the Papahanaumokuakee moo- ument. The remainder Ilve In the main Hawallan Islands, most on Kauai. Morgan said the current rate of dectlne Is about 4 percent a=. year. He predicts the popula- tion will drop below 1,000 withln'the neat few years. "ey 2025 the population may be hall of what It b right now, Morgan sold. At the current rate, he sold, the species could. be er<tlnct by the end of the century' . Countri of population are conducted In April and Octo- bu. Charles Lktnan,-head of NOAA's Hawallan Monk Seal Research Program, Bald cuts have reduced ataftlng and the number of field trips to the monument to assess the seal the we'll ni Litman are going to carry out ntlfic and management' that have been hlgh- In the recovery plan, :ed those supported,' I Bald. I ~o~'-~ ~f1y ~j~e/ / '7_fJO ~ // "1~.0-{J-e.._2e--- /JLXAI--~.-rz-` Money key to savin monk seal g ..- ..:~z. ,-,~~4: ~.1 ,err ,.>. . ~~~ ~f Groups need more Federal dollars, your help to save species BY LYNDA AMKAWq Adverriu•r SruJjWrirn Saving [he critically endan- gered Hawaiivt monk seal from extinction requires millions more federal dollars and a widespread effort that includes businesses, organizationsund esidents, marine rsprrts said yesterday. The Hawaiian monk seal population has dropped more than GO percent over the past SO scars, with the animals now numhcring fawn than I?00 rht lowest level ever rrwrd• ed, actording to the tlarinc r'n~.xr.~: ~tion Biology ..*a:aimtc. Munk seal numbers hair L•cen lcclining by about d percent a year, LEARN MORE the public is ir,viled to learn more about NOAA's monk seal response program, is- sues surrounding monk seals and volunteer opportunities if a Iwo-day meeting, June 12, at the .41a Moana Ho- tel's Camatinn Boom. the ~n~ehng wul ne from 8:30 a.rn. to 5 p.m June I 1 and 8 .i0 a.m. to noon .June 12. For more information about the monk seal response pro- gram, visit www fDir.noaa gov. "This is America's most en- dangered marine mammal," said Keiko Ronk, Hawaii pro- ;~ram director for the institute, which yesterday called fur mom government and cum- murutysupport for the Hawa(_ • t. L. . •~ . ! '.::. :-.r~~. HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL FACTS stator: Cr9icaly endangered Populatbn: Less than 1,200 Found; Only in Hawaiian Is- lands Size: Up to 7 feet long, 400 pounds Liteapen: 25 to 30 years Diet; Fish and invertebrates Sa,rce: Marine Cansenatbn 9icIC9Y y. c:mte ian monk seal's recovery. Runk said the institute is fo- cusing on building ~ collective effort among businesses, rdu- cational institutions, nongov- ernment org:miza[ions and oth- rr~ rn a campaign for mo fed- C~~Y ~~ oral funding and support for the Hawaiian monk seal. The institute held a series of meet- ings this week with government officials, environmental organ- izations and other groups. Experts said there's still hope for the Hawaiian monk seal. While the majority of the pop- ulation, in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, face tough survival rates, the smaller pop- ulation in the main Hawaiian Islands has been increasing. That's probably due to factors including more competition for (ood sources and more natural , predators in [he Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, scientists say. But much still nerds to be done to sacs the species, from more (urding for rccovcry• .:f- forts to simply more awareness and s,rpport from the public, SEE SEAL, B3 Leah Kissel, marine mammal specialist at the Warkikl Aquarium, feeds Make, one of two male Hawaiian monk sAea s lat the~aauadum iser Seal CONTINUED FROM B1 they say. The National Ocesnic and At- mospheric Administration Na- tional Marine Fisheries Service recovery plan for the Hawanan monk seal that was released last year calls for expenditures of about E7 million amually, but the federal administration only provided about E2.2 million this fiscal year, said BiB Chandler, MCBI vice presideat for govern- ment affairs That limits recovery efforts, such as field staff work in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, home to about 90 percent of the monk seals, Chandler said. He said the recovery plan -which includes research and interven- tion strategies -has also called for a facility to care for wounded and orphaned seals, which will require millions of dollars. "We have a lot of wonderful people working oa the seal here in Hawai'i," Chandler said. "They're doing a great job with what they've got, but they don't have enough to get the job done. And if we're going to recover the monk seal, they've got to have more money, Plain and simple." The effort also requires more than the government, experts said. ••We have a very solid basic research program that dues a lot of the critical things," such as population and disease monitor- ing and working on techniques to increase survival, said Charles Iattnan, head of for NOAH Na- researchprogram tional Mazine Fisheries Service. But "we're going to need more resources coming in" kom fed- eral sotvices as weB as the non- government organizations and private individuals, he said. "It's going to be a community effort to save the species," Irt- tnan said. The monk seal is an indicator species for ocean health around the Hawaian Islands, said David Schofield, marine mammal re- sponse coordinator for NOAA's Fisheries Service Pacific Island .Region. If the monk seal goes away, we've got other problems that aze going to affeM ue," he said. "Our quality of life is going to be affected because these ani- mals aze indicators of the local ecosystem. "In my child's lifetime or your child's lifetime we could see the extinction, so if we don't do something soon, it will be too late." C~oaB - x~~ 72 ~ K A U A' 1 P E O P L E Protecting Hawaii's monk seals BY Jon Lettrtan KauaSpeople When Michele "Mimi" Olry grew up on Kauai there were no traffic lights and she could ride her horse almost anywhere. Her pazents instilled a love for animals, nature and a deep sense of curiosity fed by her fa- ther's tales of African wildlife and his experiences growing coffee in the Belgian Congo. "rhe best gift my pazents ever gave me," Oby says, "was a life- time membership to National Geographic It helped me appre- ciatediversityfrom ayoung age." Ohy was active as a 4-H jun- iorleader and remembers ex- ploring the outdoors and fight- ingwith her sisters over who got to clean the trout on family fishing trips, During high school Olry worked for veterinarian Dr. Walter Haas before going on to earn degrees in veterinary medicine and zoology. This eclectic background, rooted in reverence for nature and an inclination to take care of creatures, propelled Olry to- wazds a life-long interconnect- edness with animals and her current position as the State of Hawai'i's Kauai marine conser- vation coordinator. Work on the Wild Side Recognizing she had a pas- sion for wild animals, Ohy learned to treat animals like ocelots, timber wolves and bald eagles. During the late'80s and eazly'90s OLy backpacked solo through Oceania and East Africa broadening her understanding of wild mammals working on a deer farm in New Zealand and game farms and safari camps in Zimbabwe and Tanzania. When Ohy returned to the U.S., she operated a private vet- erinarypractice in Oregon while volunteering as anon-cal! vet for the Portland Audubon Society. In 2004 Olry was invited to join a friend in doing vet work on Borneo with the Orangutan Foundation IntemationaL Lured by the chance to interact with the "great red" apes, Olry spent four months working with OFI in Indonesia and California. With a strong commitment to conservation, Olry eventually returned home to KauaS in 2005 to pursue education and conser- vation outright and began sub- stitute teaching in Kekaha which she loved; but realized her calling was to work out- doors in applied sciences. That yeaz a morilc seal pup was bom in Po'ipu and Ohy be- gan volunteering as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad- ministration (NOAH) observer and educator. When Ohy learned the state wanted to fill Katia'i's monk seal response co- ordinator position, she applied and was quickly selected, Today, three plus years into the job, Ohy observes, docu- ments and promotes the protec- tion and understanding of Monachus schauinslandy better (mown as the Hawaiian monk seal, one of only two native mammals in Hawaii and recent- lynamed as the official mammal of Hawaii Because they are also federally fisted as critically endangered, Ohy welrnmes the support she receives from dozens of volunteers and com- munity members in caring for shazed marine resources. Having fallen to their lowest recordednumbets, the majority of the remaining 1,200 monk seals aze:concentrated in the Pa- pahanaumokuakea Marine Na- tional Monument (northwestern Hawaiian islands). Ohy says be- tween 80 and 100 animals popu- late the eight Hawaiian islands, about 43 of those frequenting KauaS's beaches and waters. Monk seals, which spend an estimated 70 percent of their time in the water, can dive down to 1,5(10 feet to search for their diet offish, octopus, squid and crustaceans. When monk seals "haul out" onto a beach, Ohy explains, it is to sleep or care for their pups and it's there they get their best resi Having safe places to haul out is crucial to the health of monk seals and a key reason be- hind the federal guideline rec- ommendingpeople stay at leas[ 150 feet from a seal See OLRY page 15 Mimi Olry, l(aua'i's monk seal response coordinator, observes, protects and educates the public about Hawai'i's official state mammal. `° ~ P '° ~ ~&' N '.1 '.~.rn F ~ y7.'[~''m ^ ~PO Ci R: o ~ a a~~~'~p^.o~°o°p~aE~^E~.,bom~5• a ~m~p, om~ a~fD~a~,~rr'a~o <~'a'~.~:p,a'°Og@: ~~~cw~' ~~'~C „~C~ WmoO .Nip~aG' ~m ~.N.y rvw~ dp<~~ ~m ~'. 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The highly-endangered marine mammal is endemic to Hawaii. David Schofield, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAH) Fisheries, said the seal population is estimated at ,zoo. However, the majority of the population inhabits the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Only 80- ioo seals inhabit the major Hawaiian Islands. "It's a great loss to the seal population, especially because it was a young female," said Schofield, who is NOAA's marine mammal response coordinator. The young female seal was born on April z4, and had not reached sexual maturity yet. "Female seals don't breed until they are four or five-years-old," Schofield said. NOAA Fisheries was notified afrer a Molokai resident saw the dead seal at Hale O Lono. Schofield flew to Molokai the same day to investigate the incident. He said the body was in good condition, and that the seal probably died in the morning of the day it was discovered. Schofield said he cannot say the cause of death untij the autopsy is finished. Dwindling fish resources throughout the major islands might have been a fact a factor that pushed the majority of the seal population to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. However, Molokai's resourceful fishing grounds, especially at the remote La' au Point, are a lure to Hawaiian monk seals. Ajwenile monk seal rests atDizie Maru Beach while two people walk 6y, unaware that they should keep a too-foot distance from the endangered animal. ~Molakai Dispatch There are at least eight seals that are spotted constantly at La' au Point. The far as the Penguin Banks to find food, and are hardly a threat to Molokai s c resources. Some monk seals may have their flippers tagged with identification m though the staff at NOAA Fisheries would like to track the seal popula should never get too close to read the tags. "If you see a monk seal, call us ~8oz," Schofield said. Last week Thursday a West End resident saw a seal lying on top of dry reef Papohaku Beach. The seal appeared to be in bad shape, according to him. who asked not to be identified, said he called authorities, but no one shy along with a neighbor, decided to coax the seal back into the ocean by pu tail. The seal eventually swam away. However, the resident said the seal was and probably did not survive. Monk seals come ashore to rest and can be easily disturbed by human i startled seal swims to the ocean, it can become an easy prey for sharks, its Also, dogs and humans can transmit diseases to seals, which could easily to extinction, according to NOAA Fisheries. NOAH Fisheries mission says the government agency is dedicated to the living marine resources through science-based conservation and manage promotion of healthy ecosystems. On April i9 NOAA will promote a statewide Hawaiian monk seal count; p.m. Schofield said he will provide appropriate training and tools to v interested in participating should call Schofield at (808) 944-zz69. swim as 1 fishing pers. Even i, humans (808) zzo- the end of e resident, 'd up. He, ig it by its post dead, ~tion. If a predator. the seals dship of and the io a.m. to i eers. Those ~~n~-2c~ - - The HanoluluAdyertiser - - HonoluluAdvertlser.eom Monk seal spending time on Hawaii beach By MARY VORSINO Wednesday, January r6, zoo8 A teenage monk seal that has been on a Kailua beach since New Year's Day is expected to scoot away sometime this weekend, sporting a new coat of fur. The seal, dubbed Chester for a scar on his chest, has given Kailua residents and visitors a rare, close-up view of seal molting, the annual process in which seals lose their fur, patches at a time. Since Chester is an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, people aren't allow to get too close to him. But for a handful of residents who came out yesterday to see the seal, ayellow-tape boundary perimeter around Chester put them more than close enough. "It's amazing," said Linda Voellmy, a Kailua resident who has been watching Chester since he came ashore. "It's so educational." Voellmy, who called Chester "sort of like a beach mascot," has lived in Kailua for 37 years and said she has never seen a Hawaiian monk seal come onto a beach in the area to molt. David Schofield, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marine mammal response network coordinator, said many Kailua residents echoed the comment. "Once in a while they do pick a more popular beach (to molt)," he said. "What is more unusual is a seal choosing Kailua." The spectacle of Chester on the well-used Kalama Beach is even more rare considering there are only about t,zoo Hawaiian monk seals lefr in the wild, about roo of which stay in the main. Hawaiian Islands. . C~ed~- ~ A pair of spectators watch a beached monk seal on Kalama Beach. The3So pound critter is likely [o take up new quarters [his weekend. ANDREW SNIMABUKU ~ The Honolulu Advertiser The Honolulu Advertiser - HonoluluAdvertlser.COm The Monk Seal Response of volunteers, has kept wa z4 hours a day since short ashore. A daytime watch around-the-clock after reportedly bothered the sE Brooke Scharrer, a vt team who has spent see beach to keep Chester were banging sticks in get him to move. It is a federal offense to monk seal. Chester is expected to be finished molting Saturday. Though the seal has been ashore for r6 days, he only started molting four days The process in which monk seals shed old fur for a new coat usually takes eight While he is molting on the beach, Chester doesn't eat. At his full size, he could weigh up to 45o pounds. Now, he is much skinnier - by as much as >oo pounds. Schofield said scientists in the Islands have been tracking Chester for about seven spends most of his time between Diamond Head and Kalaeloa. Last year, Chesu remote spot in'Ewa Beach, Schofield said. Reach Mary Vorsino at: mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com. For more pictures visit: http://the.honoluluadvertiser eam, made up hover Chester after he came is extended to some kids I one night. per with the nights on the said the kids seal's face to too close to a Scharrer said. ears. The seal molted on a G' SOX - ~.~ A beached monk seal rests in the sand at Kalama Beach. The seal, dubbed Chester for a scar on his chest, has given Kailua residents and visitors a rare, close-up view ojseal molting, the annualprocess in which seals loose their fur, patches at a time. ANDREWSHIMABUKUI The Honolulu Advertiser .: Beattie ~o~t-~fnteYIigencer . Monk Seals: The usually sequestered seal makes i#s return By PETER SCHROEDER Thursday, January 11, 2007 Backdropped by the soaring peak of Makana -- Bali Hai in the film "South Pacific' -- Tunnels Beach is Kauai s cover girl, one of the most- photographed strands in Hawaii. Nevertheless, going there always gives me the thrill of discovery -- to find the beach, you have to know which mile marker leads to which sandy path through the casuarinas. (If you twist my arm, I'll tell you it's just past mile marker 8.) On my most recent visit, [strolled along admiring the ivory curve of sand and the blue luminescence of water. Suddenly my paradise was punctured by what looked like a Hawaiian monk seals -they're the creatures in theforeground -are making a slow return to the main islands of Hawaii. PETER SCHROEDER crime scene from "CSI: Hawaii." Orange warning tape cordoned off two bodies lying prone just above the waterline. I walked nearer. One of the plump grey forms rolled over, belched, and delicately scratched its belly with a flipper -- a Hawaiian monk seal! The other yawned. I've visited the Hawaiian Islands frequently for more than ao years and had never encountered one monk seal, let alone two. I had pretty much relegated monk seals to the same category as Sasquatch or the Loch Ness monster: something rumored, but never seen firsthand. This sudden encounter set me reading about monk seals and phoning marine-mammal researchers in Hawaii. Hawaiian monk seals rank among the world's most endangered sea mammals. According to estimates, fewer than i,aoo remain (the related Caribbean monk seals were last seen in i95a, and the number of Mediterranean monk seals is fewer than goo). Hawaiian populations have declined about 4 percent a year for the past decade, according to Jason Baker, a marine biologist with the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, which is part the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The agency is responsible for researching and protecting Hawaiian monk seals. Sometimes referred to as "living fossils," Hawaiian monk seals have a skeletal structure that hasn't' changed for tg million years. While other species of seals swim hundreds of miles to feed or mate, Hawaiian monk seals generally remain in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), which stretch t,zoo miles from Oahu to Kure Atoll. c~og,~- ~~eattYe ~u~ct-~fnte[Iigencer Until the i99os, monk seals remained sequestered in the NWHI -- even people the main Hawaiian Islands rarely saw them. Today at least '7'7 seals reside on i Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island. To ancient Hawaiians, monk seals were Ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua -- "the dog that ri seas." In fact, it's aspot-on description, since biologists consider pinnipeds to be canines. o grew up on main islands: in the rough elv related to Early European sailors named the creatures because of their bald appearance -- the folds of skin behind their head that look like a monk's hood -- and their solitary behavior. They were hunted for their pelts and oil as well as for food in the r9th century arid lost habitat during the Pacific theater of World War II. The first onslaught to their existence came in the r9th century, when they were hunted far their pelts and oil as well as for food. Perils became even more cataclysmic during Worl i War II when their habitat, which includes Midway Atoll, became violent battlegrounds. Today, major threats to Hawaiian monk seals include entanglement in fishing nets; or long lines, overfishing that decreases their food supply, and habitat loss. Since the animals tend to be shy, human activity on beaches can cause them to leave favorite, well-protected haul- i ut areas; and when disturbed, mothers sometimes abandon their pups. So why have monk seals increasingly taken to basking -- and even giving birth '-- on beaches alongside Frisbee players and snorkelers at the southern end of their range? "My hypothesis is that originally the main Hawaiian Islands were core habitat for monk seals," says Baker. "When the Polynesians arrived r,ooo years ago, they found these big, (tasty animals that had never seen people and weren't afraid of them. The seals probably got killed off pretty quickly. "But the animals were safer in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It's only in racer that they're protected -- that the monk seals have been able to reestablish in the ma However, most monk seals still prefer calmer waters. "When we flew aerial surveys of monk seals in zooo to zoos, where we saw seals didn't see people," Baker recounts. Seals pick and choose their encounters. "One female seal on Oahu likes to hang Beach a lot," Baker continues. "But when she's going to give birth, she swims to an where people are forbidden to go and she has her pup out there. The seals know wh Not all all interspecies encounters are innocuous. In zooo a tourist at Poipu Beach on Kauai. shoved a seal that was blocking his exit and the seal promptly chomped him in the rump. (The man was not hurt.) Even the best of intentions can go awry. A z-year-old male seal, the first documen the Big Island, enjoyed playing with snorkelers at Kealakekua in the Big Island. ' grabbing at him and he started getting aggressive with swimmers in the water," sa Officials had to exile him to Johnston Atoll boo miles away. "He had to pay the F irresponsible behavior." years -- now islands." where we ound Sandy 'shore island they want " the ocean, l pup born on t people kept Baker. for people's C~ og, y~- ~ieattie ~o~t-~1nteCYigencer The seals' proximity to civilization has its perils. They risk catching potentially fatal diseases such as toxoplasmosis (transmitted by cats) and leptospirosis (cattle, pigs, horses and dogs). Ironically, the return of monk seals to the main Hawaiian Islands also may herald their best hope for survival. While populations in the NWHI are declining, their numbers on the main islands continue to climb. The main Hawaiian Islands may become even more important because world sea levels are rising -- and the NWHI lie very low in the water. If sea levels continue to rise, a significant amount of habitat will be lost. Although humans need to keep their distance from Hawaiian monk seals, the naturally inquisitive seals sometimes swim up to people. I was snorkeling off Poipu Beach surrounded by a rainbow of fish," recounts Vicki Andersen, a financial analyst from Portland. "All of a sudden this big gray form filled the entire vision of my mask. I came to the surface and a monk seal also came to the surface and looked at me from less than two feet away. I felt such a sense of wonder." Baker shares that feeling of awe. "Hawaiian monk seals are one of the most endangered mammals in the word, an extremely rare and ancient species. It's a privilege to be able to see them." People can observe and learn about Hawaiian monk seals at several marine-mammal facilities in the islands. If you encounter Hawaiian monk seals in the wild, stay at least ioo feet away and behind any yellow warning tape posted by seal-watch protection programs. In particular, avoid female monk seals with pups. Never come between a mother and a pup. KAUAI People might encounter monk seals at Poipu Beach on the south coast, where sometimes five seals at a time haul out. Several pups have been born here lately. OAHU Surfs up -- and so is the number of visits by wild Hawaiian monk seals to prime North Shore breaks such as Pipeline and Sunset. Waikiki Aquarium -- Visitors can watch researchers working with two Hawaiian monk seals in studies about how the animals regulate their body temperature. (zT7~7 Kalakaua Ave., Waikiki; 8o8-9z3-9741; waquarium.org) Sea Life Park -- Several monk seals are on view in a habitat with pools and sandy coves overlooking Makapuu Point (4i--zoz Kalanianaole Highway, Waimanalo; 866-365-7446; sealifeparkhawaii.com) MAUI Wild monk seals sometimes hang with the surfers and windsurfers at Hookipa Beach on the north coast near Paia. V~®a'~'T' On Faraway Shoals, Researchers Struggle to Save the ~~Seals By JOE SPRING October 31, 2006 TERN ISLAND, Hawaii - In a small white cinder block room here in the French Frigate Shoals, five monk- seal biologists crowded around a dead Hawaiian monk seal laid out on a table covered with white plastic. The pup's black eyes reflected the light and its whiskers quivered at a 'ljl touch, but a shark had bitten off its hind flippers. A large gash and r.} ~ Monk seal trapped in marine dehris. smaller cuts pockmarked its back. i National0ceanic &AtmosphericAdministra[ion When the scientists had finished doing the animal equivalent of an autopsy, had taken samples for testing and removed the seal, Suzanne Canja, a field biologist, took a moment to contemplate the empty table. "Another poor little guy," she said. "It's really sad." The Hawaiian monk seal is having a bad year. In zoo6, the seals set a record for the lowest number of pups born since monitoring began in rg83. On French Frigate Shoals, almost 60o miles northwest of Honolulu, where the species' largest subpopulation lives, almost a quarter of the pups died or disappeared, perhaps lost to predation by sharks. The outlook for juveniles past the pup stage is not any better. Young seals tliroughout the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands archipelago are starving, and scientists have not been able to figure out why. i This is not the first difficult year for the seal, which has declined an estimated 60 the late i9Sos to a population of approximately r,zoo. Bud Antonelis, head of the monk seal protected species. division, of the National Service, said the species "is now in a crisis situation." "The population may fall below i,ooo in the next five years," Dr: Antonelis said. Adults have a tan to pewter-colored coat, and may grow up to eight feet in length than 60o pounds. When provoked, monk seals have been known to sink-their can biting through the skin. since Fisheries weigh more. into sharks, C-~vD~-yy-S' ~ilc 1'elu~urtc ~imc~ Their defenses haven't been much good against people, however. In the rgth century, guano miners, whalers, and sealers traveled the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands - a largely uninhabited chain that extends for some i,zoo miles and includes the island of Midway - killing the seals for their meat, blubber, and hides. During and after World War II, military personnel and their dogs assigned to patrol the islands harassed the seals into giving up large beaches protected by shallow reefs, forcing them onto smaller beaches where the pups were unprotected from shark predation and heavy surf. In r9~6, the federal government made it illegal to harass, disturb or take the seal under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. American military pullbacks left remote field stations in the islands abandoned. This year, President Bush declared the ~40,ooo-square-acre area around the northwestern Hawaiian Islands a national monument. Under the measures set forth by the president, fishing will be prohibited in the monument in five years. To limit their effect on the seals, the field biologists stationed on French Frigate Shoals survey small islands the size of tennis courts from boats. On larger islands, the size of football fields, the biologists are so wary of disturbing the seals that they crawl on the sand and duck into two-foot-deep pits dug by nesting turtles. Still, humanity's impact is unavoidable. Trash washes up daily on the reefs and islands of the archipelago, and seals can become entangled in some of the waste and drown or starve. Rising sea levels threaten to inundate many of the preferred beaches on islands typically only six to eight feet high. The small number of seals in the main Hawaiian Islands are susceptible to diseases like canine distemper, leptospirosis and toxoplasma introduced by dogs, cats and livestock. "If the seals were to contact the disease here and travel up to the other islands and spread it there, that would be a problem," said Jason D. Baker, amonk-seal biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service. C7voY- ~ ~ French Frigate Shoals, a primary habitat of [he seals, has lost almost a quarter of its population ojpups [his year. Joe Spring/National Oceanic 6A[mosphericAdministration ~~jc~1''c1v fork ~mcsg The main threat to the seals, scientists say, is juvenile survivorship. Across the archipelago, young seals are in trouble, but the longest and most severe decline has occurred at French Frigate Shoals. From t989 to zoos, the population fell by more than yo percent, according t beach counts of the seals. In a healthy population, the age structure looks something like a pyramid, with more young individuals than adults. At French Frigate Shoals, that structure is inverted. More adults exist than juveniles. As those adults die off, fewer juveniles grow up to replace them. The major cause of death for the young seals is their unexplained starvation. Possible explanations include changes in prey distribution and abundance, a depleted lobster population that has not recovered despite being closed since zooo, and competition for food from other top predators like sharks and jacks. Scientists have only recently begun detailed studies of the seals' foraging range 'and diet. Ten years ago, researchers thought the seal fed on fish in shallow reefs near its resting beach. Satellite tags, scat analysis, and footage from a National Geographic "crittercam" mounted on the seals themselves helped scientists realize that the animals may travel farther thanroo miles, to depths greater than r,goo feet, and to sand beds and submerged pinnacles to dine) on prey that includes fish, octopus, and crustaceans. While scientists try to understand the cause of starvation in juveniles, they are trying to prevent losses from the problems they do understand. On French Frigate Shoals, they cull Galapagos sharks that prey upon monk seal pups. Scientists and volunteers, conducting annual cleanups, have collected more than 494 tons of debris since r996. Scientists have now moved the malnourished pups to Midway as part of a captive feeding plan. And they mull over the possibility of restoring beaches on French Frigate Shoals to mitigate habitat that may be lost to rising sea levels. After so many years when human interaMion with the seal meant decline, scientists hope now that measured interaction can stem the decline and spur recovery. "I think that various human impacts have stacked the cards against the species, and it is our job to try and counter that in any way that we can," Dr. Baker. said. Joe Spring worked surveying sea turtles in French Frigate Shoals as a private National Marine Fisheries Service. Correction: Nov. 3, zoo6 Because of an editing error, an article in Science Time about an effort to save Hawaiian monk seals misstated the terms of a federal ban on, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, where the spe subpopulation lives. In establishing the monument IastJune, President Bush said comn would be phased out over five years; he did not prohibit fishing there for the next five ye for the on Tuesday skiing in the ies' -argest rcialfishing J Maui, Molokai providing habitat for heartening comeback of seals By HARRY EAGAR Monday, March 21, 2005 HOOKIPA -Makana, the monk seal who steals attention from the world's best windsurfers at Hookipa, and Mama Eve, the prolific seal who has given birth at Kalaupapa for nine straight years, turn out to be the same. "This is really exciting," says Hannah Bernard of the Hawaii Wildlife Fund, which organizes the Monk Seal Watch volunteers who keep humans at a respectful distance when Makana is on the north shore. Protecting such a valuable and endangered Hawaiian. monk seal is a different story on thinly populated and isolated Kalaupapa. Fishers share the beach with the seal, but Maria Carnevale, a fisheries biology technician with the Kalaupapa National Historic Park, says when Makana (or any of the other monk seal visitors) hauls out, the fishers "respect the seals enough to just up and move." But while both seals were well-known locally, no one realized how close the connection was until Makana/Mama Eve showed up with a pup on Maui in January. Makana has been a prolific mother in the declining population of Hawaiian monk seals, and two of her daughters also have given birth; but until this year none of her pups had been observed following her to Maui. A distinctive round scar made the connection. Bemard says that mother monk seals nurse their newborns for about six weeks. Then the mother rather abruptly chases the young one off to fend for itself. Makana/Mama Eve and her new pup split around the first of October, six weeks or so after the pup was born. So it was unusual, if not quite unheard-of, for a mother and pup to show up close together on the beaches around Hookipa in January. That generated phone calls, and Carnevale's Molokai photos nailed down the identity. For seal fanciers, it was an important connection to know that Molokai and Maui together are providing the habitat for a heartening comeback of the seals on the main Hawaiian islands. Most of the remaining monk seals -fewer than t,4oo in all - are in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Carnevale said she knew that Mama Eve had traveled with pups to the south side of Molokai, but the proof that the mother was spending her time on Maui was a valuable piece of information. Presumably, she says, this pup followed her over. Five monk seals gave birth at Kalaupapa this year and four in zoo4. They were rarely sighted in the inhabited islands until the last decade. Bernard says Bill Gilmartin, who was involved in releasing young turtles when he was with the National Marine Fisheries Service -one of whom became Mains most famous turtle, g6go or Maui Girl -also oversaw the release of zt young male Hawaiian monk seals in X994 in the main islands. That, she says, "very likely" helps account for the increased breeding success. However, so little is known about the seals that it is hard to say. Carnevale says there are a couple of males she sees, one regularly, one occasionally, shore of Molokai. the north Whether these trace back to Gilmartin's work is uncertain. NMFS does not tag adult seals, though Makana's pup was given a red tag (color identifies island) and the number Rrzg. Bernard and Michelle Morris, a naturalist who helps to organize the many volunteers who watch over seals on the north shore of Maui, are thinking of having a naming contest for the pup as a way of heightening public awareness. Seals are nocturnal, says Moms, so nights are not a problem, but it takes a good deal of time and effort to have a monitor present up to seven days a week for weeks or months on end to put up tapes around a napping seal, answer questions, remind beach walkers with dogs to keep the dogs leashed and generally see to it that the seal gets to do what it wants, which for the most part is nothing. They haul out to rest. Morris says the cooperation of the volunteers has been "wonderful." And Bernard says the small but growing number of monk seals staying in the main islands is becoming "a very important subpopulation," which is why the Maui Monk Seal Watch "is really, really important to keep working the safety zone." Makana has a habit of hauling out at Hookipa during windsurfing competitions. She is tolerant (more so than some seals) of noise and commotion nearby, and Bernard and Morris say the surfers also have been knowledgeable and respectful of the seal. As a federally protected marine mammal, the seal gets first dibs on her patch of sand. There are now so many seals around that a group of California visitors had four in sight at the same time March r3. Horace Bradford, a frequent visitor and part-time resident of Maui, says he and friends Brad and Alison Coulter of Redding, Calif., had gone to Hookipa expecting to see seals. They were happy to see a mother and a pup bobbing in the waves on March r3, and i rprised when Alison Coulter spotted two more heads in the waves closer to Mama's Fish House. Bradford, who says he has watched turtles, seals and sea lions in Hawaii and California and knows how to tell them apart, is certain he was seeing seals. Bernard, when she went out later, did not see anything. "I'm so excited," said Bradford. The Coulters shot video but took it back to Califomia, and Bradford was attempting to get some stills from the tape to prove the population explosion. If a passer-by spots a seal newly hauled out on a beach, Monk Seal Watch requests that to Maui police at z44-6400 or that any county lifeguard be notified. 7'he Monk Seal Wat called at 579-913$• Harry Eagar can be reached at heagarna mauinews.com. call be made i also maybe C~D~-~ Can't we all just get along? Monks seals and visitors mingle safely at Poipu Beach, Kauai By TOM FINNEGAN October 10, 2005 POIPU BEACH, Kauai » It's a tough job trying to keep both wildlife and people happy when they mix in a small area. If it's a newborn pup of an endangered species swimming with tourists and locals at a popular beach, then it's a real challenge. But every year since zoos, federal, state and local officials have joined up with volunteers to keep Hawaiian monk seals and their newborn pups safe on the crowded beaches of Poipu. The program, which has expanded every year and involves months of planning, just finished last week. The lone adult female on the beach spent five weeks nourishing and teaching her pup to swim, then departed. The pup then Seals congregate at the beach fronting the Marriott Waiohai Beach Resort and Kiahuna Plantation Resort in Poipu. Government agencies and volunteers have created a program that allows the beach to remain open for the five or six weeks between a pup's birth and weaning. was transferred to a secluded location. While it is often a question of creating a buffer between the seals and the public, the monk seal program also provides information for beachgoers and improves public safety. "It's a unique challenge ... and this year was extremely successfiil," said Chris Yates, marine mammal branch chief for the National Marine Fisheries Service. "Every pup counts when we only have t,3oo left." While monk seals are often born on the major Hawaiian islands, as adults they usually find a more secluded area to spend their six weeks out of the water as their babies nurse and grow. On Kauai, though, mothers have picked Poipu, which fronts several hotels and is a popular snorkeling, surfing, swimming and sunning spot. C~d~, ~ COURTESYOFMlMlOLRY ,.:.. ~1~ "Mother-and-pupping a on all the major islat Michelle "Mimi" Olry, and Kauai marine coordinator. "The exp main-island monk seals They are more accusto~ people around." So, while seal pups ha born on Waikiki Be. programs have g resources and volun Walters, of the state Land and Natural Reso 'e happening is,° said Dr. veterinarian conservation riences with re increasing. ied to having not yet been seal watch erea more rs, said Jeff toartment of visible and organized, said Wendy Goo, public affairs specialist with the fisheries service. I In soot, without a plan in place, Poipu Beach was closed for more than a month whein a monk seal produced a pup, prompting numerous complaints. And last year, a tourist was bitten in the rear when a mother chased him down as he snorkeled. This year, though, armed with volunteers and more staff on Kauai and from the fisheries service and National Marine Sanctuary Program on Oahu, mom and pup were kept safe, and tourists and residents were able to watch an endangered species in action while still using the beach. "For people to have experience with wildlife in a natural setting like this, it's rare. I zoo," said Olry. "Ninety-nine point tune percent of people were thrilled:' As pregnant seals were spotted, Olry said "Poipu pup pre-planning parties" were everyone from police to hotel managers. Daily updates on the location and activity of the mom and pup were given to th Resort Association throughout the seals' five-week stay, Olry said. And ~o-plus volunteers helped maintain afenced-in barrier for the pups, with C veterinarians on site from dawn to dark. There was security at night as well, Olry sai "We're trying to keep the balance of (having) people use the beach and (make sure) pup don't show signs of disturbance," Olry said. "Species are sensitive. They are in health of the environment " Added Goo, "It's a benefit for the tourist and the local people. They understand do, but why it's important." > not like the field, inviting Poipu Beach ry and other he mom and icative of the only what we C~7bdd'- Z'~ COURTESYOFMIMI OLRY Monkseals usually prefer secluded beaches to nurse theiryoung, but Poipu remains an inexplicable exception. islandwatch PIIaIOfla/N0.MCNME Celehriry Seal at Rid~ardso~'s A celebrity has been sunbathing at Richardson Ocean Park in Hilo. And like any celebrity, she's been getting star treatment. The whole black sand beach has sometimes been roped off to give her a litt}e breathing room. But, then, any Hawaiian monk seal would get the same treatment. This particular monk seal, known as °Lighthouse Mom," gained her celebrity in en unfortunate man- ner. According to Mari Christopher of the Monk Seal Response team, a group of UH volunteers who rope off and monitor the area when the seal is present, Lighthouse ~fom a~as the same seal who appeared on an infamous ~I}5pace video last August that shows a visiting soldier prodding her her end her newborn pup with a stick. Lighthouse Mom charged the intruder repeatedly defending her pup,nnd appeared exhausted at the end of the video. The sol- dierdeployed to Europe, but found federal agents waiting with en arrest warrant when he returned. It's a federal and state crime to harass or disturb a monk seal, which is on the federal endangered species list. Violators can be fined up to $25,000. Unfortunately, some haven't gotten the mes- sage yet. When Lighthouse Mom pulled out to bask at Richadson's on January 2, the Journal photographed several individuate on the inside the bounds of the crime-scene tape that the vol- unteers had put up to give the sea] her space. According to DLNR Education Otficer John Kahiapo, people must stay et least 50 yards away from a monk seal, end ao "interaction" between humans end seals is permitted. That's sometimes a bit difficuk to enforce in the water, since seals, especially young seals, are naturally curious. `T'he best thing to do is just to get away from them sad get out of the water so they don't get used to people," says Kehlapo. Seals on land, though, ere a different matter. It's easy to avoid them, since they're on the beach to bask and sleep. And when they're in that mode, avoiding them is a good thing for humans, too, because they don't like to be disturbed, and since the adults weigh 400.600 pounds and can pack a vicious bite, it's wise [o honor their wishes. Christopher recounts the story of ~ not-so- bright O'ehu residem who let hls pit bull tangle with a basking seal. The dog soon found it was outmatched, and when the owner tried to come to the rescue, the see] tore his shoulder open He was later arrested in the emergency room. °They usually let you know if you're getting too cioae. They start to bark,° says Kahiapo. The video of the man harassing Lighthouse Mom has since been pulled from Myspace. But another video on YovTSrbe shows exactly the behavior the Kahiapo describes. Some amateur seal paparazzi has filmed an extreme closevp of a monk seal on the beach. The seal stares s[raigM at the camera, end delivers a deep, grunting cough. The video operator laughs at the sound. He may not be laughing if DLNIR or federal Fish and Wildlife officials trace the video. Lighthouse Mom now has her own video out Someone photographed her et Richardson's on December 15. This one is much more peaceful, though, She's just basking, Ali told, according to County Perks and Rec, seals have paid eight visits to Richardson's in the past two or three months. Six of those visits have been from Lighthouse Mom; in the other two visits, the seal could not be identified. But it isn't just Richardson's. Lighthouse Mom appears to have taken up residence here; she's appeared at various beaches from the South Poim area to Paipaikou. She also has become something of a monk seal Eve for this island. she's had three pups on this island so far on remote Hawaii Island beaches. Kahiapo says that at leas[ two of those have stayed around, making a start toward creating a native monk seal population for the island again. And like all good celebrities, Lighthouse Mom has a little sex scandal going-or at least a sexual mystery. There are no known male monk seals hengutg around Hewei'i Island. So nobody knows who the father 1s. The best guess is a bull seal who's been hanging out is Maui waters. But only Lighthouse Mom knows for sure, and she's not telling. To report a monk seal sighting or harassment, ce11643-DLNR, the Monk Seal Response Team a[ 756.9961 the Federal Marine Mammal Hotline at 1- 868-256-9840. Alan D. McNarie G~ve~- ~~