HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 743 Draft 02 2006-2008COUNTY OF HAWAII
STATE OF HAWAII
RESOLUTION NO. '743 0~
(DRAFT 2)
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-holo-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; 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 Secretu•y 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"
Asing; 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 Hilo ,Hawaii, this 8th day of October 2008.
INTRODUCED BY:
COUNCI MBER, COUNTY OF HAWAII
COUNTY COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE
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 October A ~ 200 R
ATTEST:
~TY CLER
AYES NOES ABS EX
FORD X
HIGA
HOFFMANN X
IKEDA X
IACOBSON X
NAEOLE X
PILAGO
YAGONG g
YOSHIMOTO }{
8 0 0
Reference: C-1438.5/FMC -18.
RESOLUTION NO.
(DRAFT 2)