Weekend Edition: Hawaiian Monk Seals Killed

credit: Kauai Monk Seal Watch

An outbreak of endangered monk seal slaughter has erupted on the Hawaiian Islands. Two {monk seals} were found clubbed to death on a remote shore of Molokai, and another carcass found on Kauai. Another possible killing on rural Molokai is being investigated. There is no known motive, but resentment among fishermen of the protected fish eating seals is well known, and there is an erroneous belief among locals that the monk seals are not native to Hawaii. The population of monk seals is plummeting. Current estimates are around 1100 and at the current rate of mortality the seal will be extinct in 50-100 years.

NOAA has made two proposals to save the seal from rapid extinction. One is to relocate monk seals from the remote atolls of the northwest where survival rates of pups are at an unsustainable level of 20% to the waters around the more populated islands where their are fewer sharks and large fish competitors. Only 80 to 100 seals are believed to inhabit the waters around the main islands. The other proposal is to expand federally protected critical habitat for the seals to parts of the main islands. Locals, unhappy with the federal rules protecting the state mammal, believe the federal government is again improperly dictating to Hawaiians. Some respected elder islanders claim the monk seal was not present when they were growing up, but archeological digs show bones in middens dated as far back as the 15th century. The native creation chant, which names all the creatures known to Hawaiians, mentions a creature like the monk seal. Monk seals appear to be congregating around Molokai during the past few years. The beautiful rural island with stunning, sheer sea cliffs is inhabited by only 7,000 humans, many of whom hunt, fish and gather their food (unemployment on the island is over 15%). The seals are coming in conflict with human subsistence fishing, and the federal proposal to designate main island critical habitat is making the situation more acute according to islanders. Nevertheless, the state government is preparing a reward for information leading to the conviction of monk seal killers. The last person to be convicted killed a pregnant monk seal which had the temerity to sun on the Kauai resident's favorite fishing beach in 2009. He was sentenced to only 90 days and a $25 fine. In 2010 a state law was passed making it a class C felony for anyone killing the state marine mammal. Federal law provides for fines of up to $50,000 and five years in prison.