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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 743 Draft 01 2006-2008Mrr os y4 ~-~ ~ ' , . ~Je~~ COUNTY OF HAWAII •s~ ?• STATE OF HAWAII ~'~% o.~M~"' RESOLUTION NO. '743 n~ A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE PROTECTION AND RECOVERY OF THE OFFICIAL HAWAII STATE MAMMAL; THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED ENDEMIC HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL. WHEREAS, the Hawaiian Monk Seal, Monachus schauinslandi, is a critically endangered seal that is endemic to the waters off the Hawaiian Islands and was known to the native Hawaiians as `Ilio-bolo-i-ka-uaua, or "dog that runs in rough waters"; and WHEREAS, to raise awareness for the species' plight, the Hawaiian Monk Seal was declared Hawaii's official State Mammal on June 1 I, 2008, by Lieutenant Governor James Aiona; and WHEREAS, the Hawaiian Monk Seal is among the most endangered species of all seals, although the Mediterranean Monk Seal is even rarer, and the Caribbean Monk Seal, last sighted in the 1950's, was officially declared extinct in June 2008; and WHEREAS, the population of the Hawaiian Monk Seal continues to decline, currently estimated at only 1,200 worldwide; and WHEREAS, human and environmental factors such as habitat loss, competition for food supply, marine debris entanglement, disease, shark predation, and climate change have contributed to the species' decline; and WHEREAS, Hawaiian Monk Seals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the latter having listed the Hawaiian Monk Seal endangered in 1976; and WHEREAS, the MMPA and ESA protect the species and the ecosystems upon which they depend, and individuals harming, harassing, taking or killing these animals are subject to fines of up to $50,000; and WHEREAS, these laws require that governmental agencies take action to prevent this species from going extinct; and WHEREAS, most of the Hawaiian Monk Seal population exists in the Northwest Hawaiian Island (NWHI) where the seals are rapidly declining; and WHEREAS, there are 100-150 seals found in the Main Hawaiian Islands and this subpopulation is increasing; and 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 BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Clerk of the County of Hawaii transmit copies of this Resolution to Carlos M. Gutierrez, the Secretary of Commerce and NOAA Administrator; Jim Balsiger, Director, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA; U.S. Senator The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye; U.S. Senator The Honorable Daniel K. Akaka; U.S. House Representative The Honorable Neil Abercrombie; U.S. House Representative The Honorable Mazie K. Hirono; Hawaii State Governor The Honorable Linda Lingle; Hawaii State Senator The Honorable Colleen Hanabusa; Hawaii State Representative The Honorable Calvin K. Y. Say; Hawaii County Mayor The Honorable Harry Kim; Kauai County Mayor The Honorable Bill "Kaipo" Acing; Honolulu City and County Mayor The Honorable Mufi Hannemann; Maui County Mayor The Honorable Charmaine Tavares; Honolulu City Council Chair Barbara Marshall; Maui County Council Chair G. Riki Hokama; and Kauai County Council Chair Jay Furfaro. Dated at , Hawaii, this day of 2008. INTRODUCED BY: ~fi'~~3%V COUNCIL M ER, COUNTY OF HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL County of Hawaii Hilo, Hawaii I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the County of Hawaii on ATTEST: COUNTY CLERK CHAIRMAN & PRESIDING OFFICER ROLL CALL VOTE AYES NOES ABS EX FORD HIGA HOFFMANN IKEDA JACOBSON NAEOLE PILAGO YAGONG YOSHIMOTO Reference: Crxrrn_ 14iB_ 1 /6Mr' RESOLUTION NO. '743 (?~