RES 743 Draft 01 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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WHEREAS, the waters off Kauai and Niihau have the highest concentration of Hawaiian Monk Seals in the Main Hawaiian Islands; and WHEREAS, saving the Hawaiian Monk Seal from extinction requires developing government and private partnerships to raise public and visitor awareness about response and recovery programs; and WHEREAS, the Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Plan, signed by the National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency Administrator in August 2007, requires a budget of approximately $7 million to adequately fund their recovery programs in this plan; and WHEREAS, the 2008 federal budget approved for the recovery plan was approximately $2,1 million, which may receive an increase of up to $4 million; and WHEREAS, the ESA and MMPA require the State of Hawaii to write an Incidental Take Plan for mammals taken in commercial and recreational fisheries, which includes adequate responses to fishing interactions, other harmful interactions, and human disturbances; now therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII, that it urges the Federal Administration and Congress to adequately fund the Main Hawaiian Island Monk Seal Response and the Incidental Aquatics Division with a $1 million annual budget. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, 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 develop a program for regulating human-seal interactions at State/County beaches and parks frequented by the Hawaiian Monk Seal. 2